THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF DRY FARMING 33 



of south Africa and of other areas in the same dark con- 

 tinent. 



The Mediterranean states are Morocco, Algiers, 

 Tunis, Tripoli and Egypt. In Egypt rain is practically 

 unknown. In the other states the rainfall is very light. 

 In some parts of Tunis it is frequently below 10 inches, 

 and yet in that country much attention is given to the 

 growth of agricultural products, especially the production 

 of wheat and olive oil. Notwithstanding the dry char- 

 acter of the climate in these states, they support a rela- 

 tively high population. 



In south Africa, especially in the Transvaal country, 

 much attention is beginning to be given to dry farming 

 methods. The rainfall in much of the Transvaal is below 

 20 inches, hence, the necessity for practising these meth- 

 ods. McDonald has done and is doing much for the ex- 

 tension of dry farming in this part of Africa. In other 

 areas of Africa and in various parts of the continent, 

 the necessity for growing crops by these methods is im- 

 perative. It is from the dry regions of Africa that some 

 of the most drought-resistant crops have been obtained, 

 especially Milo maize and Kafir corn. 



Dry farming in other areas. In many other areas 

 dry farming has been practised in some for a longer or 

 shorter period, in some instances for centuries. These in- 

 clude portions of the Canadian west, of Mexico and of 

 the Central American states on this continent, and very 

 large areas in South America and Australia. 



In certain portions of the Canadian west, especially 

 in southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan, dry farm 

 methods have been practised for about a quarter of a cen- 

 tury and with much success. Notably is this true of the 

 work done by Mr. Angus Mackay, the efficient superin- 

 tendent of the experiment farm at Indian Head, Sask. No 

 other station or farm in all the west has furnished a 

 record for so long and continuous a period of the results 



