DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



193 



in the soil in order to obtain the increased production. In other words, 

 what we must do to obtain the best results is to outline in the simplest 

 ■"a-b-c" language the most improved methods, and there is no doubt in 

 my mind but that within a few years we will begin to receive large returns 

 for our labors. 



i\Iy interest in this subject dates back to 1884, at which time I was 

 engaged in farming with my father in Iowa. I remember the season 

 opened with but comparatively little moisture in the soil, and in order to 

 conserve the moisture present, my father kept the harrow going until 

 the corn was six inches high, or long after the usual time for cultivating 

 with the plow. When we did begin plowing, we used very shallow shov- 

 els, made by a local blacksmith after my father's ideas. Our crop that 

 3-ear. as compared with those of our neighbors, is a matter of neighbor- 

 hood histor}-. ;My later years on the farm also taught me the necessity 

 of other soil essentials, crop rotation and seed selection, all of which are 

 factors in successful diversified farming. 



I will not try to enter into a scientific discussion of the subject. 

 That, by right, belongs to the experts in the Department of Agriculture, 

 the directors of the various experiment stations, and others making re- 

 search observations along those lines. 'My province is the accurate re- 

 cording and tabulating of climatic data, for the benefit of the scientist, 

 the observer, the experimenter and the farmer. I am instructed by the 

 Chief of the United States Weather Bureau to inform yoit that no task 

 that you ma}- ask of us will be considered too great, for an}^ subject, 

 even though remoteh" allied to climatic conditions, has our most intense 

 interest. 



CHAIR^IAN BURRELL: The next number wiU be "^i^'matic Con- 

 ditions and Soil ^loisture Conditions in the Great Plains Area." b}* Dr. 

 L. J. Briggs. of Washington, D. C. I take pleasure in introducing Dr. 

 Briggs. (Applause.) 



