DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



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been summer fallowed the previous year and a plat of land that had 

 grown a crop the previous year, on the summer fallowed that we had in 

 the spring in the first six feet soil moisture contents equivalent to nine 

 inches of precipitation — our average precipitation is 13.14 inches in Mon- 

 tana — we had in our summer fallowed land the equivalent in the first 

 feix feet of nine inches precipitation, while in the area where a crop had 

 been grown we had a little over the equivalent of two inches precipita- 

 tion in the first six feet. That does not necessarily indicate to me that 

 we should always summer fallow. The summer fallowing is certainly 

 one of the methods of fortifying against the succeeding dry year — a thing 

 we ought to look out for. It is very fortunate that the attention of the 

 Department of Agriculture has been directed to the possibility of taking 

 the problem up over a larger area and getting larger results from which 

 to draw conclusions than have been heretofore obtained. 



Other stations are looking to methods more economical than that 

 of summer fallowing. The investigations carried on indicate that from 

 the very nature of the case, corn or intertilled crop is not so expensive 

 as a crop that cannot be intertilled. If we can find that, locally and alter- 

 nately we can substitute afi intertilled crop which is equal to corn I 

 would say it is fortunate that that problem is being investigated. 



These investigators recognize the fact that we ought to fortify for 

 each succeeding year. The Department of Agriculture, in recognition of 

 that, the Montana Experiment Station is putting in a process of rotation. 

 I don't know that they are doing work in Utah, but they are doing it in 

 many states and are extending it to take up this problem and investigate 

 it. 



The other night in an open discussion on the floor here it seemed to 

 be the consensus of opinion that dry farming could be carried on success- 

 fully on large areas, or wide tracts only. Gentlemen, stop to think for 

 a minute. What about the farm unit? Where are the millions of homes 

 coming in if the farmers have to have several thousand acres before they 

 can be handled economically. (xA.pplause.) That is a question I would 

 like to have considered. Therefore the problem is, what are the methods 

 by which we can handle the farm and get maximum returns with the small- 

 est possible farm? I believe, and it is the general idea, and my obser- 

 vation has led me to conclude, that 160 acres is entirely too small. My 

 plea is it should be a section, or something- of that kind. These farm 

 management problems are very important. And so when we look into 

 the problem of growing the other crops in place of summer fallowing we 

 are simply trying to help out the situation. If we are going to have 

 large tracts and expensive machinery it is not the question of management 

 that makes homes for the people and brings the biggest returns from the 

 land. My proposition is the small farm unit, from which the family can 

 make a livelihood and be content, comfortable and happy. (Applause.) 

 But the point I wish to make for the present and always is, that I believe 

 that the dry farmer will have to fortify himself for the succeeding year, 

 to adopt some method by which he comes up- to the succeeding spring 



