THE DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



181 



tended to it, and wishes a connplete success to this Congress that it con- 

 siders of international interest. 



"I, therefore, in behalf of the United States of Brazil, present to you 

 Americans, and to the distinguished representatives of foreign countries, 

 its greetings, and best wishes for the most successful results of this 

 Congress, and prosperity of all nations here represented." 



Then Dr. Baeta-Neves paid high compliments to the state, Cheyenne, 

 and American society, and afterwards took from his pocket a large silk 

 Brazilian flag that he fondly unfolded and respectfully kissed, amid the 

 hearty applauses of the assembly, that greeted him, highly appreciating 

 his patriotic feelings and love for his native country. He described the 

 beautiful flag giving the meaning of his national symbol, so full of signifi- 

 cance, in the most beautiful and artistic combination of colors and em- 

 blems, and afterwards he presented the flag to Mayor Peter Cook, of 

 Cheyenne, as representing the American families of that city. It was re- 

 ceived by the mayor amid the most enthusiastic applause of the assembly. 



DRY FARMING DEVELOPMENT. 



Prof. F. B. Linfield, Director of the Experiment Station at Bozeman, 

 Montana, gave an illustrated lecture, showing by photographic reproduc- 

 tions, the extent of dry farming development in the western states. He 

 spoke as follows: 



"Raising crops without irrigation in the semi-arid regions of the wes'o 

 i's not a new practice, though an adequate realization of the great possi- 

 bilities in this direction is new. From the evidence at hand the first 



Utah Pioneers 



attempts at farming the lands above the ditch was by the pioneers of 

 Utah, some little cropping being done as early as the sixties but little 

 development was made in this direction, however, till about 20 to 2f> 

 years ago. 



Early Failures. 



"It was about this same time that the rush of settlers spread them 

 selves over the western parts of Kansas and Nebraska and out on the 

 plains of Colorado, to be later driven back in large numbers by the dry 

 seasons of 1893 to 1896. It was some ten years previous to this period 

 that the farmers began taking up land in the comparatively humid dis- 

 tricts west of the Rocky mountains, in eastern Washington, and north- 

 ern Idaho and later they spread themselves westward towards the dryer 

 sections of Washington and Oregon. Montana too made a start about 

 twenty years ago, or soon after, in cropping the bench lands of the 

 Gallatin valley. 



"Twenty years ago a beginning was being made in dry farming in 

 eastern Wyoming near the Black Hills. During this same period the 

 settlers were gradually rolling themselves westward over the Dakotas. 

 Thus from the evidence at hand it appears that the real earnest start 



