The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-01-14
THE idea that dry-land farming is
of modern origin has a very ex-
- tpnsiva haliaf Cuoh ,,,ou, 4.

SA"'O DOiiCis OuCu d view Is
FAR from the truth. 1t gained cur
rency because Of the fact that this
process was not extensively prac-
tieed in Canada or the United States
until within the past two decades.
But even on this continent. individual
farmers have practfced dry-land farm
Ing methods for the last 40 or 50
years, but in a way SO quiet and I'M
oDstrusive that none but their neigh
bors knew about their operations.
The facts are, however, that dry
land farming has been practiced more
or less since the dawn of history.
Win the exception Of Egypt, where
irrigation was extensively practiced,
all, or nearly all, the great nations of
antiquity rose to eminence in areas
where the rainfall was so slight that
dryfarming methods must have been
practiced. Much of the area ruled by
the Assyrians and Babylonians was
Dry. The same Is true of much OF
India and China with their teeming
populations. The same may be said
of Eastern Central Europe and West
ern Central Africa.
In Tunis, In North Africa, the coun-
try can be farmed only by d~ry-farm-
Ing methods, and yet in the early CEN
turtles of the Christian era, Tunis
furnished to Rome immense GUAM
ties OF wheat and olive oil. Remains
OF granaries now stand on sandy
wastes-monuments Of dead agricul-
ture.
Large areas Of S h e a t e
Europe were not furnished with an
abundant rainfall any more than they
are at the present time, which means
that dry-farming must have been
practiced there in ancient times. The
Indians of Mexico also practiced dry
farming in the dry area of that coun-
try away back in the long forgotten
centuries. The truth Is, that in all
the past more than half the area cul-
tivated has been farmed more or less
on the principles which underlie sue
cessful dry-land farming.
Area Dry.Land Farming Covers.
With reference to this question the
people of Canada and the United
States are only concerned with the
respective areas in these countries,
which, II farmed at all must be
farmed on the dry-land plan. OF
course it Is not possible In the pres
ent state of u knowledge to define
exactly the areas that must be farmed
by dry-land farming methods.
The records of the precipitation in
many of these areas have not SO far
been recorded. 1t would, however,
be approximately correct to say, that
in Western Canada there are not
fewer than 100, 000,0 900 acres of
arabic land that must be farmed
more or less IN the dry-land plan
if it is to be farmed successfully.
This will include certain areas in
Southwestern Manitoba, still larger
areas in Southern Saskatchewan, and
yet larger areas in Southern Alberta.
In the United States the area that
can only be farnfed on dry-land farm
ing principles covers parts Of IA
states, all OF which lie west Of the
Mississippi River. The dry-land area
in these covers not less than 300 ,000,-
900 acres. 1t was formerly range
pasture land, but in the not distant
future the present indications point
to the fact that 1t will be farmed by
dry-farming methods, This means
that an area six times as large as the
State OF Minnesota, which formerly
produced grass only, will soon be de-
voted to growing large quantities OF
grain.
What Dry-Land Farming Means.
With reference to precipitation
countries are classified as arid, semi
arid, sub-humid and humid. A region
may be classed as arid when the an
nual rainfall or precipitation is less
than 8 inches. 1t may be classed as
semi-arid where the precipitation Is
between 9 and IS inches, as sub-hu'
mid where 1t Is IS to 81 inches, and
humid where 1t is more than q
inches. 1t is not to be understood
that grain crops may not be grown
when the precipitation Is less than 3
inches on the average. Under these
conditions, however, such farming
becomes hazardous in the absence Of
irrigation. When the precipitation
runs from>9 to IS inches, grain crops
cannot be successfully grown a V by
dry-farming methods. With 1S to q
inches Of rainfall good farming should
succeed fairly we'll every year. Wher
the rainfall is above 81 inches grazing
lands may be benefited by the heavy