THE DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



137 



tatoes, millet and kaffir corn prove to me beyond any doubt, that if 

 proper methods of farming are carried out, to conserve all moisture tha^ 

 is precipitated, we can raise good paying crops in most parts of yoming 

 where vegetation grows. 



Forage Crops. 



"It is my opinion that it is most fortunate for Wyoming that dry 

 farming has proven successful, inasmuch, as I am convinced the stock- 

 men now realize that for their business to be conducted on a safe basis, 

 they must supplement their winter range with feed; conservative -bants 

 no longer loan money to the man who depends entirely on the range. 

 This I thi'nk is not a case of choice but is one of necessity and even if 

 it were true that we could not ripen cereals, we can raise all kinds 

 of fodder. This in itself means more stock and certainly better stock 

 and better care. The dry farmer will raise the crops for the stockmen. 

 Our sheepmen have fed many carloads of corn to sheep on the range 

 this winter, paying as high as $1.40 per cwt. for it. Those who could 

 reach a farming section with their flocks to rough them through on hay 

 or in the fields have been fortunate. The production of winter stock 

 feed at home is of paramount importance to the rangemen. 



Bi-enniel Cropping. 



"Men ridicule the idea of raising crops in this state without irriga- 

 tion, but I here assert that v/ith what moisture falls we can conserve 

 enough to raise one big crop every other year and more often can raise 

 two crops in three years. It is and has often been asserted that during 

 the last three years we have had an unusual amount of moisture. 



Precipitation. 



"This is partly true and partly untrue. In 1906 the precipitation was 

 17.65 inches. In 1907 it was 12.34 inches. In 1908 it was 19.09 inches. 

 The winter and spring of 1907 and 1908 were unusually dry, according 

 to the government farm records,— 1^/^ inches for eight months, — and 

 from May until September 1, we in a sense, had too much moisture, 

 1.5.49 inches. 



Climate Helps. 



"I believe there are factors in Wyoming, of which we know very 

 little, in the climatic conditions, which seem to very materially help us 

 m raising crops. Once more I wish to mention Prof. Buffum. He is 

 interested in a seed breeding farm, as some of you know, at Worland, 

 in the Big Horn basin. The precipitation there is about 5.5 inches per 

 annum. In the fall of 1907 he planted some winter rye. 



Dry Farm Rye. 



"Last spring be wrote me that the rye was looking fine but the soil 

 was as dry as the ashes of hell. This rye was sown under the ditch, 

 with the expectation of getting water from the same, but the ditch not 

 being completed at that time the crop had to do without irrigation, 

 hence his writing the way he did. This rye lived through the winter 



