302 



THIRD ANNUAL SESSIONS 



April 19, 1907. I, at once, put up my tent and began keeping 'batchelor 

 Corn, Cane, Potatoes. 



hall.' About the first of May, I commenced breaking ground and that 

 season got forty acres under cultivation in Ind'an corn, kaffir corn, 

 maize and cane. I also raised enough potatoes for home use. I had a 



Watermelon. 



good garden and fine melons. Some watermelons weighed forty pounds. 

 After I planted my crops, I built my house and had it ready July 4. Then 

 I went back after my family and stock, returning about first of Sep- 

 tember. I put in the rest of the time harvesting my crop, digging a 

 well and getting ready for the next year's crop. I broke out consider- 

 able land during the winter so that I had all told sixty-five acres ready 

 for 1908 crop. 



Alfalfa. 



"I put in fifteen acres of alfalfa securing a good stand, although 

 1908 was the driest year, old settlers tell me, for seventeen years. If 

 this experimental planting does well, I shall greatly increase my acreage 



Potatoes. 



of alfalfa. It has been claimed potatoes cannot be raised here, but I 

 think I have proved the contrary, for, even in the dry year of 1908, 

 I have fine potatoes yielding at least 100 bushels per acre. A man com- 

 ing here must expect to work hard and intelligently, adapting himself 

 to circumstances. If he does this, he will make a success. It lies as 

 much with or rn the man as with the country." 



TURKEY. 



Prom a semi-arid region of Turkey, we obtain the following facts, 

 given by Pres. John H. House, Thessalonica Agricultural and Industrial 



Precipitation. 



Institute, of Salonica, Turkey: "About 1,000 acres are being dry farmed 

 here with many thousand more, possible. The rainfall is from 12 to 15 

 inches. Most of this moisture comes from December to April. Alternate 



Summer Fallow. 



summer culture is the general rule here and has been, from time im- 

 memorial. This dry farming has been practiced in vine culture very 

 successfully no body knows how long. The success in grape culture is 



Grain Failure. 



almost phenomenal. Winter grain and spring crops have been largely 

 a failure. This last season (1908) we had a prolonged drouth, lasting 

 from April 2 to November 11, yet I am pleased to record that grapes, 

 Vv'heat and barley made a crop with this untoward condition. 



