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THIRD ANNUAL SESSIONS 



in dry farming in various parts of the country began between 1880 to 

 1890. While in the great plains area thousands of farms were abandoned 

 between 1893 to 1896, yet in other parts of the western country the ex- 

 tension and growth of dry farming has been substantial and ever for- 

 ward. During all these years earnest men have been studying, practically 

 and scientifically the problems of dry land agriculture. 

 Soil Treatment. 



"The early workers on the bench farms in Utah soon learned to 

 plow deep and to cultivate, to provide a reservoir for, and to retain the 

 moisture. Experience gradually taught them that light seeding and 

 cropping the land in alternate years gave the maximum crop from the 

 dry land, though when the summer fallow practice started there is no 

 record. 



Campbell System. 



"Out on the plains of Nebraska, Mr. W. H. Campbell refused to give 

 up when his neighbors moved away. He believed the land had possi- 

 bilities and he set himself diligently to work out a plan, a method of 

 practice that would give successful crops. The results of his years of ex- 

 periment made him out as a missionary to arouse the people to the op- 

 portunities offered. , ; j j 



Experiment Stations. 



"As the work of the experiment stations has been primarily to solve 

 the problems of the farmer rather than to promote the development of 

 virgin agricultural fields, they have followed rather than led the work of 

 the pioneer farmer. 



"It appears that the first experiment farms in the dry country were 

 started by the state of Colorado in the plains country in the eastern part 

 of the state about 1894. As there were but little funds to either equip 

 or maintain these stations they were abandoned four to five years ago. 



Spread of the Movement. 



"The gradual growth in the number and extent of the dry farms and 

 the success attained under the best methods of practice aroused a gen- 

 eral interest in this subject, which culminated in 1903 in a demand for 

 thorough and scientific study of the problems of dry farm agriculture 

 in the various districts. As a result of this aroused interest, the Utah 

 legislature of 1903 appropriated $6,000 per year for six dry farm sub- 

 stations in various parts of that state. The same year the Nebraska 

 legislature established a dry farm station at North Platte. Since that 

 time North and South Dakota and Kansas have established stations on 

 their dry western lands. About four years ago several stations, for the 

 study of dry farm methods, were started in Montana, and one or two 

 years later special studies were taken up in Wyoming. Other states have 

 also started or contemplate starting work along this line. 



Government Co-Operation. 



"Meanwhile the United States Department of Agriculture has inter- 



