2 DRY FARMING 



in the second class; judged by the rainfall it is, except 

 for some small areas, ^^semi-arid'\ 



1. Dry Farming Defined. — Dry farming is a popular 

 term used to designate the methods of crop and soil 

 . management found to be profitable in areas of light rain- 

 fall. The specific practices which together comprise the 

 system are not new, but the organization of them and 

 their intensive application in areas of low rainfall have 

 resulted within the last generation in giving to the 

 system the special name "dry farming". This system 

 has accomplished much in the semi-arid regions of North 

 America, even though its most intelligent practice does 

 not make crops grow in the absence of rain. Dry farm- 

 ing is nothing more nor less than the employment of 

 common-sense methods of meeting the rainfall con- 

 ditions that exist by practices that have been shown to 

 result in increased yields or greater profit. 



To those who have the inclination to search them out 

 the secrets of dry farming, if such its principles may be 

 called, are as an open page ; to others the attempt to farm 

 in areas having less than 15 inches of precipitation is 

 not likely to prove an easy road to wealth unless they 

 are fortunate enough to have successful neighbors whose 

 methods they may imitate. An understanding of its 

 principles combined with the will and experience neces- 

 sary to their application are fundamental necessities to 

 successful dry farm practice. 



The factor that generally controls the yield on the 

 poor soils of humid climates is plant food ; in northern 

 climates the absence of sufficient heat is frequently the 

 limiting factor; while in dry areas the thing that limits 

 the yield more frequently than any other is lack of suf- 

 ficient moisture. The more important practices of crop 



