B. r. I. — 26fi. 



DRY FARMING IN THE GREAT BASIN. 



INTRODUCTION. 



During the past four or five years much interest has been mani- 

 fested by the people of this country in the possibility of utilizing for 

 agriculture some of the arable land in the western United States where 

 the rainfall is insufficient for ordinary farming. There are several 

 conditions that have contributed to this interest. American agri- 

 culture has enjoyed a large measure of prosperity during recent 

 years and agricultural investment and farm-home development have 

 received an unusual impetus. The choicest of the well-watered public 

 lands have passed into private ownership and have greatly advanced 

 in price. 



Then, also, during the last two or three years there has been rather 

 more than the normal amount of rainfall over the larger part of the 

 arid region, and many people acquainted only with the present con- 

 ditions firmly believe that the climate is gradually becoming more 

 humid. This belief is probably without any foundation in fact, and 

 it is surprising that it should exist, for the j)recipitation records of 

 the whole country receive wide publicity ; but since the idea is gener- 

 ally held and has been widely advertised it becomes important to 

 emphasize the fact that there is no adequate basis for hoping that 

 the climate of the arid "West is undergoing any appreciable change 

 as regards precipitation. 



"Within recent years, also, investigation and experimentation have 

 been directed toward the solution of some of the complicated problems 

 involved in the conservation of soil moisture in these arid regions. 

 Actual additions to existing knowledge of the subject have been 

 relatively few, but public attention has been directed to the work to 

 such an extent that the idea prevails that much more is now possible in 

 the way of utilizing a limited rainfall than was ever possible before. 

 There is some foundation for such a conclusion, but nothing to war- 

 rant many of the exaggerated statements now current. The conquest 

 of the arid "West, to be successful and to be accomplished without 

 large and costly failures, must be made slowly and by the careful ap- 

 plication of definitely ascertained facts. The boundaries of existing 

 28529— No. 103—07 m 2 7 



