BUEEAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 151 



The experience of individual farmers, who kept little or no record of 

 their operations or the results from them, and who were consequently 

 not prepared to trace the connection between cause and effect, and 

 whose experiences have been an alternation of phenomenal yields, 

 in favorable seasons, obtained by even the crudest and most unscien- 

 tific methods, with total crop failures following the most approved 

 methods, does not constitute a safe basis for reliable conclusions. 

 These conditions have, however, afforded opportunity for the ex- 

 ploitation of many theories, methods, and systems of farming and 

 have been taken advantage of by self-seeking adventurers and land 

 speculators who have enticed settlers into these regions by holding 

 out hopes to them that through some newly discovered method suc- 

 cess was assured. Experience has shown that none of these systems 

 were effective in overcoming the effects of severe and long-continued 

 droughts. 



It became apparent to the department investigators many years 

 ago that it would be necessary to undertake some extensive and thor- 

 oughly coordinated and systematic investigations in this region for 

 the purpose of collecting facts that would constitute a basis for corre- 

 lating the factors of seasonal climatic conditions, cultural methods, 

 soils, crops, and yields. It was not, however, until July 1, 1905, that 

 definite measures were taken to put this plan into operation, and the 

 Office of Dry-Land Agriculture Investigations was then established. 

 The work of this office has developed steadily since that time until 

 it now has 23 field stations in the Great Plains, where these in- 

 vestigations are being carried on. An immense amount of valu- 

 able data has been secured and seven publications have been 

 issued within the last year dealing with these problems. The con- 

 clusion drawn from tliese investigations may be briefly summarized 

 as follows: This entire region is capable of supporting a permanent 

 and profitable agriculture, but this will be accomplished by reducing 

 the cost of production rather than by increasing 3delds by any new 

 system of cultural methods ; by making live-stock production rather 

 than grain raising the major farm enterprise; and by carrying over 

 the surplus crops of favorable years to supplement the scanty £rops 

 of unfavorable seasons rather than by depending upon intensive 

 systems of cultivation to overcome the effects of severe droughts. 



New dry-land stations. — Two new field stations have been estab- 

 lished, one at Lawton, Okla., and the other at Big Spring, Tex. 

 Both of these are independent stations, the one at Lawton being 

 located on a tract of 160 acres and the one at Big Spring, 130 

 acres. In both instances the title to the land was acquired by the 

 Government for the use of the Department of Agriculture. At both 

 stations a superintendent's house, an office and laboratory building, 

 and a barn, implement shed, and seed house have been erected. The 

 farms have been fenced, land broken, and crops are being raised 

 during the present season. At Big Spring the land has been laid 

 out in plats and the investigational work has been begun. At Law- 

 ton the plats have not been laid out, but the land has been planted to 

 general farm crops and the plats will be laid out for the investiga- 

 tional work in time for fall seeding. Both stations have been well 

 equipped with teams, implements, tools, and all other necessary 

 facilities for conducting the investigational and cooperative work. 



