THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF DRY FARMING 37 



sible was stoutly denied by all or nearly all who were en- 

 gaged in ranching in the several dry land states, and 

 they based this denial on the ground that they had failed 

 in their efforts to grow crops. In taking this stand they 

 have only proclaimed to the world and for all time their 

 ignorance of the principles that underlie successful dry 

 farming. (2) To ascertain which crops could be grown 

 the most successfully and profitably, and (3) to demon- 

 strate the best methods of growing them. 



The Northern Pacific railroad was one of the first 

 to enter this field. In co-operation with the state of Mon- 

 tana, it sustained demonstration work in various parts 

 of the state from 1906 to 1910. The Rock Island and the 

 Milwaukee railroads and also certain lines of the Harri- 

 man system have during recent years been giving more 

 or less aid to the encouragement of this work. 



The work in this line, however, inaugurated by the 

 Great Northern railroad in the spring of 1910, is the 

 most extensive work of the kind ever undertaken by any 

 one railroad system. Forty-five demonstration stations, 

 were conducted by this road in 1910, and 42 in 1911, near- 

 ly all of them being located along the various lines of 

 the road in Montana. In 1911 the work was carried into 

 North Dakota. These stations embrace from 6 to 100 

 acres, nearly all of them being of the former size. The 

 railroad gave the farmer the seed, the crop *when grown 

 and $10.00 for working each of the 6 acres of his own 

 land. The work, however, was to be done according to 

 instructions given by a representative of the Great Nor- 

 thern road. 



Three men were thus constantly employed during 

 the entire growing season. The Northern Pacific railroad 

 also established work of this character in southeastern 

 North Dakota in the spring of 1911. 



The United States Department of Agriculture has 

 shown much if not undue caution in instituting investi- 



