48 DRY-FARMING 
farmers in that section will of necessity be obliged 
to adopt cultural methods that will prevent the ex- 
cessive evaporation naturally induced by the un- 
hindered wind, and the possible blowing of well-tilled 
fallow land. 
Summary 
The dry-farm territory is characterized by a low 
rainfall, averaging between 10 and 20 inches, the 
distribution of which falls into two distinct types: 
a heavy winter and spring with a light’ summer 
precipitation, and a heavy spring and summer with 
a light winter precipitation. Snow falls over most 
of the territory, but does not lie long outside of the 
mountain states. The whole dry-farm territory may 
be classed as temperate to cold; relatively high and 
persistent winds blow only over the Great Plains, 
though local conditions cause strong regular winds 
in many other places; the air is dry and the sun- 
shine is very abundant. In brief, little water falls 
upon the dry-farm territory, and the climatic factors 
are of a nature to cause rapid evaporation. 
In view of this knowledge, it is not surprising that 
thousands of farmers, employing, often carelessly, 
agricultural methods developed in humid sections, 
have found only hardships and poverty on the 
present dry-farm empire of the United States. 
