12 



that many more farmers were interested in dry-farming than in 

 pedigree stock. The second congress held in Salt Lake City was 

 still. more successful; whilst the third* or Cheyenne Congress drew men 

 from all parts of America and several from foreign countries. 



During the three days the congress lasted practically every phase of 

 dry-farming was discussed, and the proceedings demonstrated, beyond all 

 doubt, that this practice is now as firmly established as that of irrigation. 

 Furthermore, it has now been placed on a thoroughly sound basis and the 

 early sensational elements have been eliminated. At Cheyenne I had 

 exceptional opportunities of meeting all sorts of men who are engaged 

 in dry-land farming — scientists, land agents, experiment station experts, 

 as well as practical farmers — and what struck me most of all was their 

 unbounded faith in the movement. I also had a long and interesting 

 conversation with Mr. W. H. Campbell — the author of the Campbell 

 system of Dry-farming — and inspected his machine, the Campbell sub- 

 surface packer, which was on view. An instructive exhibit of 

 agricultural implements and various crops which had been grown on dry- 

 lands was shown in a hall close by. It would take too much space to 

 speak in detail of the various papers read at the congress, and I shall 

 merely give their titles. 



Papers were read on dry-farming in Russia, China, Australia, Canada, 

 Turkey, Brazil, and the Transvaal, and also concerning the following 

 States : — Utah, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska, 

 Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and South Dakota. Special 

 articles were also contributed on : — The Development of the West ; The 

 Dry-farmer and Stock-grower ; Seed-breeding and its relation to Dry- 

 farming ; Practical Dry-f arming ; The Relation of Dry-farming Develop- 

 ment to Colonisation in the West ; The Legitimate Land Agent versus 

 the Speculator Type ; Effect of Climate on Crops ; Government Experi- 

 ments in Wyoming ; Scientific Agriculture and its Effects on the West ; 

 Dry-farming and Live Stock Fattening ; Dry-farming and Railroad 

 Development ; Dry-land Agricultural Investigations ; Physical Problems 

 in connection with Dry-farming ; Adaptation of Dry-land Grain to local 

 conditions ; Dry-farming on a Homestead — the last paper being read by a 

 woman who had successfully established a homestead on the dry-lands of 

 Colorado. 



Owing to the immense amount of business to be transacted during the 

 nine sessions of the congress the Programme Committee made the 

 excellent rule that no address or paper should exceed twenty minutes 

 in delivery ; and speeches from the floor were limited to five minutes 

 each. 



The work of the congress may be summarised as follows : — 



I. It demonstrated that the practice of dry-farming is attracting 



world-wide attention. 



II. That the recent agricultural prosperity in the United States 



is mainly due to the successful development of the semi-arid 

 regions by dry-farming. 



III. That the two great problems in dry-farming are the conserva- 

 tion of moisture and the maintenance of fertility. It was 



* The fourth Dry-Farming Congress will be held at Billings, Montana, on the 2(5th. 27th 

 and 28th October. 1909. 



