DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



21 



ing his range in a productive condition. A big part of the risk of the old 

 system is thereby eliminated. 



Fully 50,000 head of cattle were fattened in Salt River Valley alone 

 the past year, while two years previous, not more than 25,000 head were 

 fed in this district. This is due to several reasons; one being the desire of 

 the farmer to increase the price of his alfalfa hay from eight to twelve or 

 fifteen dollars per ton, and another being the desire of the stockman to 

 increase the price of his steer from thirty to sixty dollars per head. 

 Progress in this direction is very marked since parties concerned all re- 

 ceive substantial financial reward. By the introduction of cotton, and the 

 growing of corn, feterita and milo, valuable finishing foods are supplied 

 to supplement the alfalfa, and make feeding conditions ideal and popular. 



In the breeding, rapid improvement is observed. Each year hundreds 

 of pure bred animals, mostly males, both of sheep and cattle are imported 

 for the range. Especially is the improvement of breeds noticeable in the 

 dairy stock. In the past two years, the pure breed dairy cattle have been 

 almost doubled in the state. Certain sections are specializing in dairying. 

 Last year, twelve silos were built in the Gila Valley alone, principally to 

 care for the industry. 



Great strides in the hog business are bringing this class of livestock 

 to the front, farmers now realizing that alfalfa with corn or some of the 

 grain sorghums is ideal food for hogs. The number of hogs has accordingly 

 increased very markedly in the last two years. This is also true with 

 poultry and ostriches. 



The sheepowners have prospered the past year, receiving high prices 

 for both wool and mutton and having excellent range conditions. In 1910, 

 there were about one million sheep in the state; now this is increased to 

 fully one and one-quarter million head. 



Dry-Farming. 



Five years ago, dry-farming was scarcely known in the state except 

 among the Indians. Until the present time too, rather cautious develop- 

 ment has been going on in this line, due to lack of information concerning 

 the best methods and crops for this section. Our experimental data, how- 

 ever, are at present accumulated sufficiently to warrant recommendations 

 of certain areas to this class of farming. Within the last two years, the dry- 

 farming area has been quadrupled. At present, it is comparatively small, 

 including some 50,000 acres. The 'following facts illustrate something con- 

 cerning its development: 



On one forest reserve in the northeast part of the state, there have 

 been 261 applications for 160-acre homesteads since 1906. Of this list, 42 

 occurred for 1914, up to July 1. In the last four years, more than half 

 of the entire number of applications have been filed. There are over 25,000 

 acres in this one reserve that are being farmed profitably by dry-farming. 

 Again, in Coconino County, 29 homesteads were applied for from August 1 

 to September 15, 1914. The gradual increase in the acreage at elevations 

 where the rainfall is ten inches or less, by supplementing the rainfall with 



