DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



41 



EVENING SESSION. 



The Congress was called to order at 8:20 o'clock p. m. by the Honor- 

 able John Dern, of Utah, presiding. 



CHAIRMAN DERN: The first thing on the program for this even- 

 ing is an article or address on "The Range and Dry Farming," by Gordon 

 H. True, of the University of Nevada. If the professor is present I invite 

 him to come to the platform. (No response.) 



CHAIRMAN DERN: Evidently the gentleman is not here with us 

 this evening. I will call on Dr. E. D. Ball, Director of the Utah Experi- 

 ment . Station, who will address us on the subject of "State Aid in Dry 

 Farming." Will the Doctor please come forward. I have pleasure in intro- 

 ducing to you Dr. Ball. (Applause.) 



DR. E. D. BALL (Utah) : Gentlemen of the Arid Farming Congress: 

 The subject to which they have assigned me to-night is a very important 

 one from the standpoint of the dry farmer himself, and still more important, 

 I believe, from the standpoint of the state's development. 



I am glad to-night to be able to stand before you as a representative of 

 the great state of Utah, which has done so much in the way of aiding the 

 advancement of this dry farming; not only in the advancement of dry 

 farming, but she has given liberally of her monkey to every form of agricul- 

 ture and agricultural education, and I am very pleased to be able to stand 

 here as her representative to-night. In the few words I shall say I am 

 afraid I shall use her largely as a text. When Dr. Widtsoe and Professor 

 Merrill first conceived the idea that arid farming would be a profitable 

 industry in this state they went before the Legislature of this state, un- 

 folded to them their plan, told them that they would like to start five 

 demonstrating, experimental dry farms, and asked them for a certain 

 amount of money to carry them on. They got it. They got more than they 

 asked for; they got more money than they asked for, and they siniply told 

 them to take this money and go and start these farms. That was the be- 

 ginning of scientific arid farming in the State of Utah. At the very be- 

 ginning the State was generous to those who came and asked, because 

 they came with faith; they came with knowledge, and they explained the 

 thing so that the people could see — the members of the Legislature could 

 see that they were investing their money where it would bring them 

 returns. 



These dry farms were for the purpose of demonstrating the success of 

 the venture. They were more than that; they were for the purpose of find- 

 ing out the fundamental principles that underlie the science of arid farming. 



They thought first that they would be able, by locating these farms in 

 the different sections of the state, to prove to the people in these sections 

 of the state, by actual demonstrations, the value and possibilities of dry 

 farming. But they would do more than that — they would find out for 

 themselves the fundamental principles which underlie that science. They 

 did more than that. They brought home to these people on the surround- 

 ing farms the possibilities of dry farming, and then they established ex- 



