226 



DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



ries may not be best adapted for the western slope, the most of them are. 

 ]\Ir. Campbell has been the means of doing much good in the semi-arid 

 country on the eastern slope. 

 I thank you. (Applause.) 



CHAIRMAN M'CABE: The next is "My Experience as a Dry Farm- 

 er," by Hon. George L. Farrell, of Smithfield, Utah. (Applause.) 



MY EXPERIENCE AS A DRY FARMER. 



(Hon. Geo. L. Farrell, Smithfield, Utah.) 



]\Ir. Chairman, Gentlemen and Ladies of the Convention: The time 

 is far spent, and I do not think I will have near time enough to explain 

 the practical part of dry farming. The Honorable Fisher Harris wrote 

 me and asked me the name of the paper that I would present. I told him 

 I had no paper, that mine was the practical part of dr}' farming. 



I commenced the occupation of dry farming, took up my land on 

 the west side of Cache Valley 44 years ago, and when I commenced opera- 

 tions my neighbors told me that I certainly had gone crazy to think that 

 I would ever raise grain on that dry bench. But I persisted in laboring 

 to the best of my ability, getting the best team that I was able to pur- 

 chase and the best plows, harrows, etc. I commenced farming in the usual 

 way, by plowing my land, as I had always done, not over three inches 

 deep, and I worked it over as best I could, and sowed my grain, which 

 came up and at the first start did well, until the hot dry summer wind 

 came along and I lost my crop. The neighbors said. "It is no use. 

 You will never raise grain on that land." The next season I plowed 

 it about an inch deeper than we had usually done. I succeeded in getting 

 the grain headed out and then I lost my crop. And the next 3^ear I lost 

 my crop, and I began to think myself I was a little daffed. (Laughter.) 

 But I always hate to be overcome, and the harder the proposition the 

 harder I work, as a general thing, and I was determined that I would 

 continue to try, if I went broke — I didn't have much to lose either. 

 (Laughter.) I bought me a larger team and larger plow, and I started 

 in with the intention of plowing it about five or six inches deep, if possi- 

 ble, and I started to plow on a new piece of land, and I went two or three 

 rounds and did finely, but the third or fourth round I run my plow into a 

 big bunch of wheat grass and the team could not pull it out and gave a jerk 

 and broke my beam. Well, I didn't know what to think, and I sat down 

 on the beam of the plow and made up my mind I would go to Logan to 

 a Mr. Carlisle who was head carpenter in the shops there, and w^ould get 

 him to put a beam in two inches wider and deeper, that m3' team could 

 not break. I got my plow into the wagon and went to Logan and told 

 him what I wanted. He says, "I have got a piece of timber that is just 

 right, a piece of tough red pine." He says, "If I were you I would have 

 it made six inches longer; it would be better for yon and better for your 

 team." But he happened to get the beam a little too high, and 

 I hitched onto the plow and I run about thirt}'- feet an,d it went 



