14 A MANUAL OF FARM GRASSES 



such as corn, small grains, and cotton. This is especially 

 true of certain varieties of these that have been developed 

 to withstand the more severe conditions. Within recent 

 years, the area of the semiarid region has been extended 

 at the expense of the arid region. Land which was 

 thought to be too dry for the cultivation of crops without 

 irrigation, is now used for that purpose without other 

 water than that supplied by the normal rainfall. To 

 agriculture under these conditions has been applied the 

 term dry farming. Dry farming has been made possible 

 chiefly because of development along two lines. First, 

 varieties of crops have been produced that are able to 

 withstand a greater degree of drouth than those previ- 

 ously grown in the humid region, or, kinds of crops have 

 been introduced from the semiarid regions of other 

 countries. Secondly, methods of culture have been 

 developed by which the soil moisture can be conserved 

 and utilized to a greater degree than hei-etofore. 



Among farm crops especially grown in the semiarid 

 region may be mentioned durum or macaroni wheat, and 

 emmer. Millet is a favorite forage crop in the eastern 

 and northern portion of the area. Certain kinds of 

 sorghum are commonly grown, especially Kafir, milo, 

 Sudan grass, and a few varieties of sorgo, often here 

 called "cane!" Brome grass is a standard forage grass 

 from Nebraska to Minnesota and Montana. Orchard 

 grass and meadow fescue can be utilized further west than 

 timothy can be successfully grown but are of no great 

 importance in the region as a whole. The standard 

 leguminous forage crop is alfalfa. Soy beans have 

 attained some prominence in Kansas and adjacent 



