CHAPTER XIII 
THE COMPOSITION OF DRY-FARM CROPS 
THE acre-yields of crops on dry-farms, even under 
the most favorable methods of culture, are likely to be 
much smaller than in humid sections with fertile soils. 
The necessity for frequent fallowing or resting periods 
over a large portion of the dry-farm territory further 
decreases the average annual yield. It does not fol- 
low from this condition that dry-farming is less prof- 
itable than humid- or irrigation-farming, for it has 
been fully demonstrated that the profit on the invest- 
ment is as high under proper dry-farming as under 
any other similar generally adopted system of farming 
in any part of the world. Yet the practice of dry- 
farming would appear to be, and indeed would be, 
much more desirable could the crop yield be in- 
creased. The discovery of any condition which will 
offset the small annual yields is, therefore, of the 
highest importance to the advancement of dry-farm- 
ing. The recognition of the superior quality of 
practically all. crops. grown without irrigation under 
a limited rainfall has done much to stimulate faith 
in the great profitableness of dry-farming. As the 
varying nature of the materials used by man for food, 
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