DRY-FARMING 



naturally poor soils can be greatly im- 

 proved and made good dry-farming soils 

 by green-manuring or merely the appli- 

 cation of barn-yard manure. But the 

 application of commercial fertilizers is 

 seldom of much practical benefit to the 

 ordinary dry-land farmer who needs 

 more especially a moisture-retaining soil 

 rather than a temporary artificial stimu- 

 lant to plant growth. The nature of 

 vegetation is a very important matter. 

 In a new country the prospective farmer 

 should first of all look out for any wild 

 leguminous (pod-forming) plants. For 

 two reasons: first, because they indicate 

 the presence of sufficient lime to justify 

 dry-farming; and, secondly, they nearly 

 always have deep roots showing a good 

 depth of soil. Another point to be noted 

 on viewing all agricultural lands is the 

 development of trees. Are they well 

 developed and of fairly normal form 

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