This book is included in the Natural Disasters section.
Preface
THE aim of this volume is to set forth in a plain way the salient facts of that new branch of agricultural science which is now universally known as dry-farming. The writer has taken special care to deal only with the data obtained by reliable farmers, experiment-station workers, together with the results of his own experience. It is therefore hoped that this little manual will form a safe and useful guide to those thousands of settlers who are ceaselessly pouring into the great semiarid plains of the United States and Western Canada and be of genuine value as well to all those interested in the study
and practice of agriculture.
The author wishes to express his indebtedness for much valuable aid to the following: Messrs. E. C. Chilcott, L. J.
Briggs, and William M. Jardine of the National Department of Agriculture; Dr. John A. Widtsoe, Professor Lewis A. Merrill, and Professor J. C. Hogenson of Utah; Professor F. B. Linfield and Professor A. Atkinson of Montana; Mr. H. W. Campbell of Lincoln, Nebraska; Dr. V. T. Cooke of Wyoming; Mr. Gifford Pinchot, Chief Forester, Washington, D. C.; and Professor E.
W. Hilgard of California. Nor must he fail to thank Mr. John T. Burns of Colorado, Secretary to the Dry-Farming Congress, for much kind assistance.
College of Agriculture
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, June 1, 1909.
Preface to the New Edition
THE most amazing fact in modern agriculture is the rapid rise of dry-farming. Within the space of a few years it has become a world problem. In this edition some amendments have been made, including a new chapter on the "Principles of Land Settlement." The author wishes to again emphasize the value of the moisture-saving fallow in helping the farmer to overcome drought. Furthermore, he would point out that the methods of dry-farming may be employed, with great advantage, in humid countries. For example, it often happens that a region having a rather heavy rainfall of, say from 30 to 40 inches per annum, may receive only a small amount, from 5 to 10 inches, during the growing season. In such a case the crop will undoubtedly suffer from drought unless the moisture of the previous part of the season has been stored up in the soil by means of deep, well-cultivated fallows. Finally, he would point out that dry-farming is the key to closer settlement, and as such should receive the cordial support of all those interested in schemes of colonization. Nor should we forget that the drylands are the healthy lands, and are therefore eminently suited to land settlement. Dry-farming, if properly carried out, can never fail, for it is based on thorough tillage the supreme principle of all successful agriculture.
Union Department of Agriculture
Pretoria, 1st June, 1911.
Chapter i HISTORY OF DRY-FARMING Chapter ii SOME POINTS IN PRACTICE Chapter iii THE CONSERVATION OF SOIL MOISTURE Chapter iv RAINFALL AND EVAPORATION Chapter v THE PROBLEM OF TILLAGE Chapter vi THE CAMPBELL SYSTEM Chapter vii DRY-FARMING ZONES Chapter viii DRY-LAND CROPS Chapter ix THE TRACTION-ENGINE IN DRY-FARMING Chapter x DRY-LAND EXPERIMENTS Chapter xi THE PRINCIPLES OF LAND SETTLEMENT
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