234 DRY-FARMING 



Moreover, while the various sections of the dry- 

 farming territoiy are alike in receiving a small amount 

 of rainfaH, they are widely different in other conditions 

 affecting plant growth, such as soils, winds, average 

 temperature, and character and severity of the win- 

 ters. Until trials have been made in all these varying 

 localities, it is not safe to make unqualified recom- 

 mendations of any crop or crop variety. At the 

 present we can only say that for dry-farm purposes 

 we must have plants that will produce the maximum 

 cjuantity of dry matter with the minimum quantity 

 of water: antl that their ])eriods of growth must be 

 the shortest possible. Howc^ver, enough work has 

 been done to establish some general rules for the 

 guidance of the dry- farmer in the selection of crops. 

 Undoubtedly, we have as yet had only a glimpse of 

 the vast crop possibilities of the dry-farming territory 

 in the United States, as well as in other countries. 



Wheat 



Wlieat is the leading dry-farm crop. Every pros- 

 ])ect indicates that it will retain its preeminence. 

 Not only is it the most generally used cereal, but the 

 world is rajiidl}' learning to depend more and more 

 upon the dry-farming areas of the world for wheat 

 production. In the arid and semiarid regions it is 

 now a commonly accepted doctrine that upon the 

 expensive irrigated lands should be grown fruits, 



