The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-11
The Relations of Climate to
Business Are Discussed
In a Report From the Z. s.
Chamber of Commerce.
DROUTH NO LONGER A TERROR
Early Handicap of the State
Has Been Overcome.
Irrigation and Building of SilOs
Have Turned the Trick.

Washington, D. c., Dec 11-Dis-
cussing the relations of climate and
business, a report of the committee
on statistics and standards of the
chamber of commerce of the United
States deals with conditions in the
great plains states. Roughly speak
ing, this embraces North and South
Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Okla
homa, a large part of Texas, the east
ern halves of New Mexico and Colo
! RADIO and the extreme eastern portions
of Wyoming and Montana. According
to A. w. Douglas, of st. Louis, chair
man of the committee, the conflict
ing conditions in these states are
shown constantly in Kansas, which
for the purpose of the report is Sc
lected as typical.
For some years Kansas was to the
unknowing a byword for lnortgaged
farms, discontinued and distressed
farmers, and wild and impossible the
cries of government and finance" the
report goes on. 1T was not long,
however, before the tide turned and
new era set in and obtains and
progresses today. 1t was due not
along to the natural courage and in
teIligence of the people of Kansas, but
likewise to the patient teaching, inVes-
tgation and experimentation of the
federal department of agriculture. the
State College of Agriculture at Man
haitian, and the state board of agri-
culture at Topeka"
The Difficulties and the Remedies.
1t was clearly apparent that the
handicapS to successful agriculture
were those of a climate where rain
fall was uncertain and often insuffi-
cient, and where prolonged drouth
with destroying hot winds were sure
to recuT in certain irregularity. 1t was
likewise clear these handicaps were
the portion for all time of the far. hers
of the great plain states. But they
could be largely overcome, according
to the committee, by the employment
of dry farming methods; the planting
of drouth-resisting plants; the Of
irrigation where possible; and the
building of silos.
Dry farming once exploited as a
panacea, then denounced as fad, is
coming into its own as it's limitations
and its possibilities are at once being
recognized, the report declares. 1t
means constant and unremitting toll
and a larger amount of land than on
humid soils to produce the same yields,
but it renders possible successful agri-
culture over a vast tract which would
otherwise be given over to cattle graz
ing. 1t is generally believed that GER
tain plants have become drouth-resiSt-
ing by the long process of natural
selection and of adaptation to environ
ment. Search was therefore made by
the department of agriculture in the
semi-arid regions of the old world for
such useful plants as time had APP
proved. Among the more important
and successful of these are alfalfa, the
kafir, feterita, Sudan grass and durum
wheat.
Economical Feeding Means.
The net result of the increasing
acreage and production of these nu-
merous and generally reliable forage
crops is beginning to be felt in the
slow increase of live stock since eco !
nomical means of feeding them are
now assured In the very recent past /
the shortage of feed stuffs, after a
severe summers drouth meant the |
enforced sale of live stock by the /
farmer. since he was unable to carry /
them through the winter by purchas- |
ing expensive feed. He not only thus
impaired and depleted his actual capt. |
tai but reduced the possible fertility 4
of his farm and added seriously to the |
national problem of an increasing cost |
in the meat supply of food.
The possibilities of irrigation are
greatly increased because water can |
be had in comparative plenty at from /
rs feet underground and greater In
the midst of prolonged drouth Gar |
den City grew large crops by irrigation 1
by these methods
Silos offer a means of storage of
food for live stock that obviates the /
necessity of the farmer having to buy /
food for his stock because of crop /
failure. Silage has been shown to be /
a most efficient and economical
method of feeding stock.
Weather and Crop Yields.
Hot winds are meteorological phe-