CHAPTER XVIII 
THE PRESENT STATUS OF DRY-FARMING 
Ir is difficult to obtain a correct view of the pres- 
ent status of dry-farming, first, because dry-farm 
surveys are only beginning to be made and, secondly, 
because the area under dry-farm cultivation is in- 
creasing daily by leaps and bounds. All arid and 
semiarid parts of the world are reaching out after 
methods of soil culture whereby profitable crops 
may be produced without irrigation, and the practice 
of dry-farming, according to modern methods, is 
now followed in many diverse countries. The United 
States undoubtedly leads at present in the area 
actually under dry-farming, but, in view of the 
immense dry-farm districts in other parts of the 
world, it is doubtful if the United States will always 
maintain its supremacy in dry-farm acreage. The 
leadership in the development of a science of dry- 
farming will probably remain with the United States 
for years, since the numerous experiment stations 
established for the study of the problems of farming 
without irrigation have their work well under way, 
while, with the exception of one or two stations in 
Russia and Canada, no other countries have experi- 
ment stations for the study of dry-farming in full 
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