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. 



Sinnmary 



The dry-farm territory is characterized by a low 

 rainfall, a^•eraging lietween 10 and 20 inches, the 

 distriluition of which falls into two distinct types: 

 a heavy winter and spring with a light summer 

 preci])itation, and a heavy spring and summer with 

 a light winter precipitati(jn. Snow falls over most 

 of the territory, but docs not lie long outside of the 

 mountain states. The whole dry-farm territor}' 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 ver}' abundant. In brief, little water falls 

 upon the diy-farm territoiy, and the climatic factors 

 are of a nature to cause rapid evaporation. 



In view of this knowledge, it is not sur])rising that 

 thousands of farmers, em]3loying, often carelessly, 

 agricultural methods developed in hiunid sections, 

 have foimd onlv hardshiiis and poverty on the 

 present dry-farm empire of the United States. 



