220 



THIRD ANNUAL SESSIONS 



"Scientific soil culture is not a fad, simply a common sense method 

 practically applied and is a principle in which progressive fa,rmers are 

 becoming more interested, even in regions of ample rainfall. 



"This is true not only of the West, but likewise of the East, as we 

 receive many inquiries from eastern farmers, who want information 

 about dry farming as applied in the West. 



Immigration Increasing. 



"Dry farming has been a very important factor in settling thousands 

 upon thousands of acres of the public domain in southwestern Kansas, 

 Colorado and New Mexico. In New Mexico alone two and a half million 

 acres of land has been filed on in the past fifteen months, of which 

 from sixty to seventy-five per cent, will go to final proof. 



"The wealth thus added to all this new territory runs into the mill- 

 ions of dollars, as every family permanently located becomes a producer 

 and a consumer. 



"The new settler seeking a home in the West or Southwest is no 

 longer a pioneer in the sense that the settler was a decade ago. He 

 has many advantages, usually has more capital, is far better equipped 

 in the way of information as to climatic conditions character of soil, and 

 crops that can be successfully grown, so that the danger of a total crop 

 failure is minimized. 



Honesty Necessary. 



"In trying to interest the homeseekers in lands tributary to the 

 Santa Fe lines, it is the purpose of the colonization department to dis- 

 seminate only reliable information. We believe that every new settler 

 should be equipped with a knowledge of the conditions where he ex- 

 pects to locate. We realize that under even favorable conditions he 

 has many obstacles to meet, and so far as we are able, we steer him 

 clear of breakers. 



"A railroad occupying as important a position in the West and 

 Southwest as the Santa Fe does, cannot afford to delude people into 

 locating in sections where conditions are not right, merely for the ex- 

 tra revenue it may bring. I have repeatedly turned business away, be- 

 cause I knew in advance they would prove failures. Every failure rn 

 our territory is a detriment to us and the country we serve. For that 

 reason we exercise caution in the distribution of our advertising matter 

 and aim to inform prospective settlers as to the true conditions. 



"To the man who is looking to better his condition and to make a 

 home for himself and family in the semi-arid West, we advise careful 

 investigation before making a move. Our one great purpose is, as far as 

 possible, to educate that family in advance as to the country in which 

 they are interested and its possibilities. \ 



Value of Congress. 



"Many thousand acres of good land are still awaiting the home- 

 maker and the good work being done by this Congress, the railroads and 



