18 ARID AGRICULTURE. 



new knowledge the business of farming is more 

 dependable. These things point out a few of 

 the more important differences between the hu- 

 mid and the arid region. With experience, 

 ranchmen and farmers are learning new and im- 

 portant facts which help them to gain success. 

 The lands are being rapidly settled, and in a few 

 years none will be left idle which can be used for 

 crop production. ~New dry farmers should be 

 made to understand the necessity of following 

 right methods in order to avoid failure or delay 

 in securing that independence which they seek. 



SYSTEMS OP Every farm system known is being practiced 



in the West. The earliest agricultural occupa- 

 tion was the mere grazing of live stock on the 

 open range. This was rapidly followed by the 

 combined use of ranch and range. With this 

 raising of live stock at home instead of shipping 

 in feeders, came rapid development in the quali- 

 ty of stock through giving them better care, the 

 raising of winter feed, and greater attention to 

 breeding. With the development of irrigation 

 there came into existence some pure farming 

 where the field crops produced were the entire 

 dependence of the grower. At the present time 

 we have a large class of dry farmers who are 

 practicing both pure farming and the combined 

 raising of stock and crops. Truck gardening 

 and fruit growing are also practiced. We have 



