DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



151 



WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14 

 AFTERNOON SESSION 

 Farmstead Irrigation 

 The Congress was called to order by the Secretary. 

 SECRETARY FAXON: 



This afternoon session is devoted to "Farmstead Irrigation," the aid 

 to the small farmer or truckman, and it is peculiarly appropriate that the 

 session should be in the hands of a man who is introducing Kansas to 

 that sort of thing. The chairman of this afternoon's session will be 

 H. B. Walker of the Kansas Agricultural College at Manhattan, State Irri- 

 gation and Drainage Engineer. 



I now have the pleasure of introducing to you Mr. Walker. 

 Address by Mr. Walker 

 THE WINDMILL THE DRY-FARMER'S FRIEND 

 Dry-farming and irrigation must go hand in hand in redeeming the 

 waste places of the earth. 



Practically two-thirds of the earth's land surface receives a mean 

 annual precipitation of 20 inches or less. Probably one-tenth of this enor- 

 mous area can be reclaimed by large irrigation systems. The remainder, 

 however, must of necessity depend primarily upon dry-farming for its 

 development. 



The problem of securing settlers for these dry-land districts is of 

 great importance. The modern systems of soil culture for the conserva- 

 tion of moisture have done much to overcome the uncertainties of agri- 

 culture in these regions of scant and variable rainfall. Wheat, oats, bar- 

 ley, milo, kafir and similar staple drought-resistant crops are now pro- 

 duced with reasonable certainty. 



Settlers are gradually pushing out into the more arid districts and 

 are establishing farm homes. Today the more favorably located areas 

 are well dotted over with farm buildings. These structures now stand 

 out very conspicuously on the broad, monotonous stretches of country, 

 due to the total absence of trees and shrubbery. It is quite generally^ 

 conceded that home life under such conditions is not extremely pleasant 

 at all seasons of the year, and this undoubtedly accounts for the noticeable 

 restlessness of the settlers in the Great Plains Area. 



The successful development of any agricultural locality depends upon 

 substantial, convenient and comfortable farm homes. A home upon the 

 prairie in the semiarid regions exposed to the high winds and the long 

 hot summers, unprotected by trees and shrubbery, cannot be comfortable 

 or attractive to the settler's family. On the other hand a group of trees 

 about the home offers refuge from the fierce heat, relief to the eye, and 

 undoubtedly often decides between comfort and misery for the occupants. 

 But dry-farming does not insure the growth of such protective vegeta« 

 tion. Fruit and shade trees, small fruit and vegetables, all of which are 

 essential factors in home building, cannot survive in these dry-farming 



