DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



191 



named, with the normal amount of natural preeipitation. \A'hich occurs in 

 the most favorable seasons for crops, during the fall, winter and spring- 

 months. With the new methods of arid farming for the conse,r\-ation of 

 the natural precipitation in the soil there is no doubt that the desert will 

 some day be made to bloom and blossom like the rose. 



CHAIR^IAN BURRELL: AVe have with us this evening a personal 

 representative from the head of the Department of the Weather Bureau 

 Service. Dr. O. AA'. Roberts, of North Dakota, who will address us on the 

 line of his work. The Doctor will come forward. 



Dr. Roberts, ladies and gentlemen. (Applause.) 



DR. ORRTS AA'. ROBERTS. North Dakota: Ladies and Gentlemen: 

 Dr. Hyatt, who represents the local bureait here, was incapacitated tonight 

 to read his paper, therefore it will be copied in the minutes of this Con- 

 gress, and he extends a cordial invitation to each and every member of 

 this Congress to visit the local office of the United States Weather Bu- 

 reau, on the sixth floor of the Dooly Block, There you may ascertain any 

 data in regard to rainfall, temperature, etc.. of your A'arious states, and 

 also secure literature on that subject. Also he will demonstrate to you 

 Low the various forecasts are made and such matters as that. T regret- 

 very much that Air. Hyatt cannot be here to invite you personally, but 

 lie extends the heartiest kind of an invitation to each and all of you to 

 visit the weather bureau in the Dooly Block. 



The presiding officer has called upon me for a few remarks, 

 -and as I came in the dual capacity of representing the L^nited States 

 AA eather Bttreau and the state of North Dakota, he has not limited me to 

 any particular topic. I will, therefore, state as briefly as possible the rela- 

 tions between the work of the AA'eather Bureau and dry farming, and also 

 outline the farming con.ditions in North Dakota. 



Requests are A-er}- freqttently received by the various directors of the 

 cliniatological ser-^'ice of the AA'eather Bureau relative to crop conditions 

 in their respective sections. For the benefit of the members of this Con- 

 gress I will state that previous to January 1. 1906. weekly during the crop 

 growing season, and monthly thereafter, reports of climate and crop con- 

 ditions were received throughout the various states and territories, and 

 these reports embodied in printed reports. Since the date mentioned, 

 crop conditions have been eliminated and our entire attention dcA'Oted to 

 climatic conditions. 



In this connection I v-ill state that the crop conditions are entirely in 

 the Bureau of Statistics. The United States AA'eather Bureau makes no 

 reference at all to crops in their respecti^'e publications. That is done for 

 the purpose of not _repeating-. or. in other words, duplicating these sta- 

 tistics. 



In the accomplishment of reforms a receptive mood in those affected 

 is often the keynote of success. So long as the farmer reaps fair rewards 

 for his labor he is not apt to realize the necessity for improved methods, 

 but after he has robbed his soil of much of its fertility and reduced yields 

 are experienced, he is then prepared to avail himself of them. Abnormal 



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