124 



DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



taining stone, gravel, or earth roads and especially the roads best suited 

 to the particular state. Road drainage and maintenance would be thor- 

 oughl}'- discussed. Lectures should also be given by road experts from 

 other states. Road building demonstrations would also be carried out 

 in connection with this work. 



Sample road machinery and drags of various makes would be se- 

 cured for exhibitional and demonstrational purposes. In fact, ever}' detail 

 of road building should be thoroughly taken up. 



CHAIRMAN BURRELL: The next paper is ''Summer Fallowing 

 in Relation to Dry Farming in the Great Basin," b}^ Prof. Scofield. in 

 charge of Office of Agricultural Extension, Bureau of Plant Industr}-. 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The paper will be 

 read by Prof. Chilcott. 



PROF. CHILCOTT: Ladies and Gentlemen: Prof. Scofield is 

 carrying on a series of experiments at a number of places in the western 

 part along this line, the principal part of his work being at San Antonio, 

 Texas, but he is Avorking in connection with the Reclamation Service at 

 several other ponts. The title of his paper is "Summer Fallowing in Re- 

 lation to Dry Farming in the Great Basin." 



I take the libertj^ of calling your attention to a criticism that has 

 been offered against the Department men concerning the method of 

 summer fallowing. I think there is a misconception on that. I tried to 

 make it clear in my talk that I dealt entirely with conditions east of the 

 Rock}' Mountains. I know nothing whatever from a practical standpoint, 

 of conditions west of the Rockies. As 3'ou are all aware, the conditions 

 west of the Rockies are very different from those east of the Rockies, 

 particularly as you have a winter rainfall here, while on the eastern side 

 of the Rockies we have a summer rainfall, and we arrive at very different 

 conclusions concerning various methods. 



You will see that Prof. Scofield. who is also a government man. takes 

 a very different attitude towards the subject of summer fallowing than 

 myself. If I were_ operating on this side of the Rockies it is altogether 

 probable that I would agree with Mr. Scofield. and with the men who 

 are advocating summer fallowing. I do not believe it is a good practice 

 east of the Rockies. I have reason to believe, from the experience of 

 others, that it is a good practice west of the Rockies, and there are reasons 

 for that. 



SUMMER FALLOWING IN RELATION TO DRY FARMING IN 

 THE GREAT BASIN. 



(C. S. Scofield.) 



In view of the fact that the practice of simimer fallowing the land 

 for moisture conservation, together with alternate 3^ear cropping, has 

 made dry farming possible in L^tah and throughout the Great Basin, 

 a careful study of this practice may be justified. Xo one wlio is familiar 

 with the facts can question its importance as a factor in the utilization 

 of the agricultural possiliilities of this great region. 



