CONSERVING THE SOIL FERTILITY 295 



portion of the central area of the dry-farm territory 

 the dry-farms are at considerable distances from 

 running or well water. In many cases, water is 

 hauled eight or ten miles for the supply of the men 

 and horses engaged in farming. Moreover, in these 

 drier districts, only certain crops, carefully culti- 

 vated, will yield profitably, and the pasture and the 

 kitchen garden are practical impossibilities from 

 an economic point of view. Such conditions, though 

 profitable drj^-farming is feasible, preclude the 

 existence of the home and the barn on or even near 

 the farm. When feed must l^e hauled many miles, 

 the profits of the live stock industry are materially 

 reduced and the dry-farmer usually prefers to grow 

 a crop of wheat, the straw of which may be plowed 

 under the soil to the great advantage of the follow- 

 ing crop. In dry-farm districts where the rainfall 

 is higher or better distributed, or where the ground 

 water is near the surface, there should be no reason 

 why dry-farming and live stock should not go hand 

 in hand. Wherever water is within reach, the home- 

 stead is also possible. The recent development of 

 the gasoline motor for pumping purposes makes 

 possible a small home garden wherever a little water 

 is available. The lack of water for culinary purposes 

 is really the problem that has stood between the 

 joint development of dry- farming and the live stock 

 industry. The whole matter, however, looks much 

 more favorable to-day, for the efforts of the Federal 



