THE HISTORY FARTHER WEST 357 
early ’80’s. During the ’80’s it became a thoroughly 
established and extensive business practice in the 
northern part of the state. 
California, which was settled soon after Utah, 
began dry-farm experiments a little later than Utah. 
The available information indicates that -the first 
farming without irrigation in California began in the 
districts of somewhat high precipitation. As the 
population increased, the practice was pushed away 
from the mountains towards the regions of more 
limited rainfall. According to Hilgard, successful 
dry-farming on an extensive scale has been practiced 
in California since about’ 1868. Olin reports that 
moisture-saving methods were used on the Califor- 
nian farms as early as 1861. Certainly, California 
was a close second in originating dry-farming. 
The Columbia Basin was settled by Marcus Whit- 
man near Walla Walla in 1836, but farming did not 
gain much headway until the railroad pushed through 
the great Northwest about 1880. Those familiar 
with the history of the state of Washington declare 
that dry-farming was in successful operation in iso- 
lated districts in the late ’70’s. By 1890 it was a well- 
established practice, but received a serious setback 
by the financial panic of 1892-1893. Really success- 
ful and extensive dry-farming in the Columbia Basin 
began about 1897. The practice of summer fallow 
had begun a year or two before. It is interesting 
to note that both in California and Washington there 
