30 DRY LAND FARMING 



ties for more than 30 years. In many instances, however, 

 they have not been grown on the dry land plan, and, as a 

 result, crop failure through drought and hot winds has led 

 to the temporary abandonment of certain areas westward 

 in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas. These areas are 

 now being farmed successfully by farmers who have 

 learned something of the secret of conserving moisture. 

 During all the years of failure there were individual 

 instances of success, which makes it clear that much 

 of the failure that resulted could have been avoided. The 

 greater annual rainfall in much of this area did not 

 emphasize the necessity of moisture conservation as it 

 did in other areas. It was in this region in 1894 that 

 H. W. Campbell began his work on its present basis, 

 which he has since denominated "Scientific Soil Culture." 



In the Inter-mountain states with Wyoming as a 

 centre, dry farming has been successfully practised by 

 individuals, but until a comparatively recent period, it 

 was confined to limited areas. But there are isolated 

 instances in which it has been practised for two to three 

 decades. 



In the Columbia river basin which has its centre in 

 Washington (see p. 51), wheat has been grown success- 

 fully for many years and also many other crops. In the 

 neighborhood of Walla Walla it has been grown for 

 more than a generation and with practically undiminished 

 yields. There is an immense area in this region which 

 has become famous for growing wheat although the rain- 

 fall is very light. 



In the Colorado and Rio Grande river basins (see 

 p. 52), crops have been grown for many years in limited 

 areas on the dry land plan. In New Mexico especially 

 are groups of farmers who have farmed thus for a num- 

 ber of years. 



In the face of these facts, it is incredible that any one 

 man could have been chiefly responsible for introducing 



