This book is included in the Natural Disasters section.
Jethro Tull 1674-1741 Agriculturist
His methods of soil tillage lie at the
foundation of the modern system of dry-farming.
Preface
Nearly six tenths of the earth's land surface receive an annual rainfall of less than twenty inches, and can be reclaimed for agricultural purposes only by irrigation and dry-farming. A perfected world-system of irrigation will convert about one tenth of this vast area into an incomparably fruitful garden, leaving about one half of the earth's land surface to be reclaimed, if at all, by the methods of dry-farming. The noble system of modern agriculture has been constructed almost wholly in countries of abundant rainfall, and its applications are those demanded for the agricultural development of humid regions. Until recently, irrigation was given scant attention, and dry-farming, with its world problem of conquering one half of the earth, was not considered. These facts furnish the apology for the writing of this book.
One volume, only, in this world of many books, and that less than a year old, is devoted to the exposition of the accepted dry-farm practices of to-day.
The book now offered is the first attempt to assemble and organize the known facts of science in their relation to the profitable production of plants, without irrigation, in regions of limited rainfall. The needs of the actual farmer, who must understand the principles before his practices can be wholly satisfactory, have been kept in view primarily ; but it is hoped that the enlarging group of dry-farm investigators will also be helped by this presentation of the principles of dry-farming.
The subject is now growing so rapidly that there will soon be room for two classes of treatment: one for the farmer, and one for the technical student.
This book has been written far from large libraries, and the material has been drawn from the available sources. Specific references are not given in the text, but the names of investigators or institutions are found with nearly all statements of fact. The files of the Experiment Station Record and Der Jahresbericht der Agrikultur Chemie have taken the place of the more desirable original publications. Free use has been made of the publications of the experiment stations and
the United States Department of Agriculture. Inspiration and suggestions have been sought and found constantly in the works of the princes of American soil investigation, Hilgard of California and King of Wisconsin. I am under deep obligation, for assistance rendered, to numerous friends in all parts of the country, especially to Professor L. A. Merrill, with whom I have collaborated for many years in the study of the possibilities of dry-farming in Western America.
The possibilities of dry-farming are stupendous. In the strength of youth we may have felt envious of the great ones of old; of Columbus looking upon the shadow of the greatest continent; of Balboa shouting greetings to the resting Pacific;
of Father Escalante, pondering upon the mystery of the world, alone, near the shores of America's Dead Sea. We need harbor no such envyings, for in the conquest of the nonirrigated and nonirrigable desert are offered as fine opportunities as the world has known to the makers and shakers of empires. We stand before an undiscovered land; through the restless, ascending currents of heated desert air the vision comes and goes. With striving eyes the desert is seen covered with blossoming fields, with churches and homes and schools, and, in the distance, with the vision is heard the laughter of happy children. The desert will be conquered.
JOHN A. WIDTSOE.
June 1, 1910.
Preface List of Illustrations CHAPTER I - Introduction —Dry-farming Defined Dry- vs. Humid-farming The Problems of Dry-farming CHAPTER II - The Theoretical Basis of Dry-farming Water required for One Pound of Dry Matter Crop-producing Power of Rainfall CHAPTER III - Dry- farm Areas —Rainfall Arid, Semiarid, and Sub-humid Precipitation of the Dry-farm Territory of the United States Area of the Dry-farm Territory of the United States Dry-farm Area of the World CHAPTER IV - Dry-farm Areas—General Climatic Features Seasonal Distribution of Rainfall Snowfall Temperature Relative Humidity Sunshine Winds Summary of Features Drouth CHAPTER V - Dry-farm Soils The Formation of Soils Physical Agencies Chemical Agencies Characteristics of Arid Soils Clay Sand Humus Soil and Subsoil Hardpan Leaching Alkali Soils Plant-food Content Summary of Characteristics Soil Divisions Great Plains District Columbia River District Great Basin District Colorado River District California District The Judging of Soils CHAPTER VI - The Root-Systems of Plants Functions of Roots Kinds of Roots Extent of Roots Depth of Root Penetration CHAPTER VII - Storing Water in the Soil Alway's Demonstration What becomes of the Rainfall? The Run-off The Structure of Soils Pore-space of Soils Hygroscopic Soil-water Gravitational Water Capillary Soil-water Field Capacity of Soils for Capillary Water Downward Movement of Soil-moisture Importance of a Moist Subsoil To what extent is the Rainfall stored in Soils? The Fallow Deep Plowing for Water Storage Fall Plowing for Water Storage CHAPTER VIII - Regulating the Evaporation The Formation of Water Vapor Conditions of Evaporation from Soils Loss by Evaporation chiefly at the Surface How Soil-water reaches the Surface The Effect of Rapid Top-drying of Soils The Effect of Shading The Effect of Tillage Depth of Cultivation When to Cultivate or Till CHAPTER IX - Regulating the Transpiration How Water leaves the Soil Absorption Movement of Water through the Plant The Work of Leaves Transpiration Conditions influencing Transpiration Transpiration for a Pound of Dry Matter Methods of Controlling Transpiration CHAPTER X - Plowing and Fallowing CHAPTER XI - Sowing and Harvesting Conditions of Germination Time to Sow Depth of Seeding Quantity to Sow Method of Sowing The Care of the Crop Harvesting CHAPTER XII - Crops for Dry Farming Importance of Right Crops Wheat Other Small Grains Oats Barley Rye Emmer Corn Sorghums Lucern or Alfalfa Other Leguminous Crops Trees and Shrubs Potatoes Miscellaneous CHAPTER XIII - The Composition of Dry-farm Crops Proportion of Parts of Dry-farm Plants The Water in Dry -farm Crops The Nutritive Substances in Crops Variations in Composition due to Water-supply Climate and Composition A Reason for Variation in Composition Nutritive Value of Dry-farm Straw, Hay, and Flour Future Needs CHAPTER XIV - Maintaining the Soil-fertility The Persistent Fertility of Dry-farms . Reasons for Dry-farming Fertility Methods of Conserving Soil-fertility CHAPTER XV - Implements for Dry-farming Clearing and Breaking Plowing Making and Maintaining a Soil Mulch Subsurface Packing Sowing Harvesting Steam and Other Motive Power CHAPTER XVI - Irrigation and Dry-farming The Scarcity of Water Available Surface Water Available Subterranean Water Pumping Water Use of Small Quantities of Water in Irrigation CHAPTER XVII - The History of Dry-farming Origin of Modern Dry-farming in the United States Utah California The Columbia Basin Great Plains Area Uniformity of Methods H. W. Campbell The Experiment Stations The United States Department of Agriculture The Dry-farming Congress Jethro Tull CHAPTER XVIII - The Present Status of Dry-farming California The Columbia River Basin The Great Basin Colorado and Rio Grande River Basins The Mountain States The Great Plains Area Canada Mexico Brazil Australia Africa Russia Turkey Palestine China CHAPTER XIX - The Year of Drouth Record of the Barnes Farm, 1887-1006 Record of the Indian Head Farm, 1801-1909 Record of the Motherwell Farm, 1801-1909 The Utah Drouth of 1910 CHAPTER XX - Dry-farming in a Nutshell APPENDIX A - A Partial Bibliography of Publications on Dry-farming APPENDIX B - Text of the Smoot-Mondell Bill INDEX
End of Preview.
RETURN to Main Titles Index or
Natural Disasters
Please Read The Website Disclaimer!
Copyright 1986-2012, The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute (SSRsi), All
Rights Reserved
Site conceptualized, designed, created & maintained by MEG Raven
Snail Mail: SSRsi, PO Box 2572 Dillon, CO. 80435-2572