B. P. I— 546. 



FKllT GROWING FOR HOME USE IN THE CENTRAL 

 AND SOUTHERN GREAT I'EAINS." 



LOCATION OF THE REGION UNDER DISCUSSION. 



The geographical position of tlie Great Plains is indicated by the 

 map shown in figure 1. This map was first used in the Yearbook of 

 the Department of Agriculture for 1907 in connection witli an article 

 by Prof. E. C. Chilcott, of this Bureau, entitled "Dry-Land Farming 

 in the Great Plains Area". The eastern boundary of the Great Plains 

 from an agricultural standpoint is considered somewhat arbitrarily 

 to be the ninety-eighth meridian. The western boundary is likewise 

 assumed to be the 5,000-foot contour. It extends south as far as the 

 thirty-second parallel of latitude and north to the Canadian line. 



For the purposes of the present discussion, western Kansas and 

 eastern Colorado comprise the section referred to as the central Great 

 Plains; western Oklahoma, the Panhandle of Texas, and eastern New 

 Mexico constitute the southern portion. 



In this connection it should be stated that between the 5,000-foot 

 contour and the Rocky Mountains there are points which have an ele- 

 vation exceeding 5,000 feet, where fruit is grown with some success 

 witliout irrigation. In fact, two of the most successful nonirrigated 

 orchards in eastern Colorado are considerably above this elevation. 

 One of these is near Littleton, with an elevation of about 5,350 feet; 

 the other, near Parker, with an altitude of neaily 6,000 feet. 



a In the rapid settlement of the semiarid region, the matter of home building is a 

 very important feature of the development that is in progress. A good supply of fruit 

 may be made to contribute very materially to this end and add greatly to the well- 

 being of the family. During the summer of 1909 a considerable number of representa- 

 tive fruit gardens and urchards in eastern Colorado, weslern Kansas, and the Panhandle 

 (if Texas were visited by Mr. II. P. Gould, Pomologist in Charge of Fruit District Inves- 

 tigations, for the purpose of studying conditions, varieties, methods, etc., and with a 

 view to making the information thus obtained available for the benefit of the large 

 number of new settlers who are ra])idly coming to these sections to make hom.es. 

 This paper is largely an account of the methods that appear to be best suited to the 

 climatic and other conditions in this region and which thus far have given promising 

 results, supplemented by such suggestions as the investigations of the writer have 

 called forth. — A. F. Woods, Acting Chief of Bureau. 



[Cir. 51] 3 



