274 CAMPBELL'S SOIL CULTURE MANUAL 



them on the ground that there has been a permanent 

 change in the climate. Invariable Prof. Moore answers 

 that the climate has not changed. Prof. Moore points out 

 that the country does not need as much rain as it did 

 formerly to make the land productive. The virgin soil is 

 being broken up and the trees are being planted. While 

 this does not increase the rainfall, as is sometimes stated, 

 it makes the same amount more efficient and more profit- 

 able, because the soil is broken up and there will not be so 

 much evaporation, the ground absorbing it more thor- 

 oughly." 



The warning should be taken to heart by everyone, not 

 with fear and forebodings, but with redoubled effort to 

 solve and solve correctly and finally the problem of how to 

 meet just such conditions as are predicted without danger 

 of crop losses. 



It is worth while to point out that if there are persons 

 who are urging others to begin farming in the semi-arid 

 or arid regions on .the claim of there having been any per- 

 manent change in the -climate they are the worst possible 

 enemies of those whom they would dupe, as well as of the 

 country they seek to populate. There is no reason to be- 

 lieve there will be any material difference between the 

 climate of the Twentieth century and that of the Nine- 

 teenth. 



But Prof. Moore does recognize, as many others have 

 that conditions are changing in the semi-arid country and 

 that better results are being obtained. Naturally he looks 

 about for a cause and an explanation. He gives that 

 which comes most readily to hand. It is true there is no 

 increase in rainfall averaging up one year with another 

 and it is true there is an increase of moisture available 

 for the use of the plants. It is hardly fair, however, to 



