CHAPTER I 

 WHAT IS MEANT BY DRY FARMING 



The term "Dry Farming" is now applied to the grow- 

 ing of crops in all areas where the precipitation is so light 

 that special methods of tillage have to be resorted to in 

 order to grow crops with a reasonable measure of success. 

 In a sense it is a misnomer. To those who may not 

 understand the way in which it is used, the hazard is 

 present that it will convey the impression that it refers 

 to farming that is conducted in the absence of moisture. 

 Many have objected to the term for the reason given 

 above, and for the further reason that its use tends to 

 prejudice those who are seeking homes with reference 

 to land that must avowedly be farmed on the dry farm- 

 ing plan whatever that may mean. 



The effort has been made to change the name, but 

 without success, and it has failed for the following rea- 

 sons : (1) The term is in itself essentially correct, as it 

 refers to farming under dry conditions. Every one 

 knows, or ought to know, that farming cannot be con- 

 ducted in the absence of moisture. (2) It carries with it 

 the idea that the precipitation is less than that which or- 

 dinarily falls in humid and sub-humid climates, a truth 

 that one seeking a home in such areas ought to know be- 

 fore he makes his choice, otherwise he is going to be dis- 

 appointed and possibly to the extent of being discour- 

 aged. (3) It would seem to be almost impossible to 

 substitute a name that will so well characterize the class 

 of the farming that is to be pursued in these areas. 



What dry farming does not mean. Of course dry 

 fanning does not mean the growing of crops without 

 moisture. That would be an absurdity. But it does 

 mean growing them with a less amount of moisture than 

 would be successful in producing them without resorting 



