8 DRY-FARMING 



of arid lands offers another group of important 

 dry-farm problems. Some plants use much less 

 water than others. Some attain maturity quickly, 

 and in that way become desirable for dry-farming. 

 Still other crops, grown under humid conditions, 

 may easily be adapted to dry-farming conditions, 

 if the correct methods are emploj-ed, and in a few 

 seasons may be made valuable dry-farm crops. 

 The individual characteristics of each crop should be 

 known as they relate themselves to a low rainfall and 

 arid soils. 



After a crop has been chosen, skill and knowledge 

 are needed in the proper seechng, tillage, and har- 

 vesting of the crop. Failures frec^uently result 

 from the want of adapting the crop treatment to 

 arid conditions. 



After the crop has been gathered and stored, its 

 proper use is another ])roblem for the dry-farmer. 

 The compositi(jn of dry-farm crops is different from 

 that of crops grown with an abundance of water. 

 Usually, dry-farm crops are much more nutritious 

 and therefore should command a higher price in the 

 markets, or should be fed to stock in corresponding 

 proportions and combinations. 



The fundamental problems of dry-farming are, 

 then, the storage in the soil of a small annual rain- 

 fall; the retention in the soil of the moisture until 

 it is needed by plants; the prevention of the di- 

 rect evaporation of soil-moisture during the growing 



