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DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



I wanted to say, before I close — and I know I have consumed a 

 lot of your time — it may appear to some who have listened to my paper 

 that I have made this problem so difficult that it will tend to discourage 

 people. They may say, if all these difficulties are in our way we might 

 as well give it up. Not at all. Nor do I want to convey the idea that 

 because we have this improved system or machinery for investigation of 

 these things that we have any monopoly on the origination of ideas. 

 Right here is where the people represented in this audience — where their 

 function comes in. That is the function of the individual farmer, and it 

 is the function of this organization to bring these farmers together, and 

 whenever we have one of these meetings the men can get together and 

 relate their experience, and here is where we get a great many ideas, and 

 when we get these ideas together we can work out from them a system; 

 it gives us material from which to work. I have no doubt when I go 

 back from this meeting I will carry with me many ideas based upon 

 just such suggestions as have already been thrown out here, that I will 

 find will be necessary to test. That is what I wan,t; that is what I am 

 here for. A farmer may be able to work out, or he may already have 

 worked out a system applicable to his particular conditions. He may 

 have, from long experience, found out what ^the best average practice 

 is for his farm. Now, if he will tell us about it and let us know what 

 that is, in all its minor details, then the problem for us to find out is 

 whether that practice will fit somebody else's farm and so on, so that we 

 can bring these things out and sort them out and work them out and 

 thoroughly test them and then distribute them back to the people so that 

 they will be much more valuable, not for the individual farmer that 

 originated them, but for all other farmers who are situated under like 

 conditions. And that is where this great organization, the Dry Farming 

 Congress, can do a wonderful work, if it only will, if it can bring these 

 various interests together. There is no conflict really, or, at least, ought 

 not to be any conflict between the interests with reference to this ques- 

 tion. We are seeking to develop this country. We want to develop the 

 country. What for? Simply so that it will produce something; so that 

 we can take this something out of the country. The farmers want to 

 produce their yield, to make it more profitable. I hope before this 

 organization closes its session that all of these various systems some- 

 times considered antagonistic will be found right together and working 

 harmoniously. 



I have been taking too much of your time, and I thank you, (Ap- 

 plause.) 



MR. DAY, from Idaho: If I understand correctly there has been 

 a resolution adopted here to perform certain business; if not this session 

 adjourns. T move that the convention take a recess of ten minutes in 

 order to allow the different delegations to hold meetings to do that 

 business. 



CHAIRMAN DERN: It would seem to me, it being very near 

 twelve o'clock, it would be much better to simply call upon those who 



