HISTORY OF DRY-FARMING 



culturist of the semi-arid region by giving 

 him in many parts of the globe great 

 depth of soil combined with an almost 

 inexhaustible fertility. Such at least is 

 the lesson of history. 



'An English Agriculturist. 



The starting-point in our story may 

 be said to be the publication of that 

 agricultural classic entitled "The New 

 Horse-Hoeing Husbandry" or "An Es- 

 say on the Principles of Tillage and 

 Vegetation" by Jethro Tull. This very re- 

 markable man, who was born in the year 

 1674, may be justly called the "Father 

 of the Experimental Method in Agricul- 

 ture." He was also the foremost 

 preacher of his time of the gospel of 

 good tillage. The great value of TulFs 

 writings is that they are founded not 

 upon mere theory, but upon actual ex- 

 periments in the field. At that time, in 

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