THE DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



337 



so fundamental a proposition that the veriest novice understands it. 

 Above all, in season and out of season, and between seasons, the drying 

 and baking surface must be broken. 



The success of dry farming under proper conditions is the hope of 

 the semi-arid west, for it makes possible the settlement of vast areas 

 that otherwise would produce only the scant forage which unaided nature 

 provides. In its development it will double, possibly treble, the cultivated 

 area of the so-called arid states. 



Dry farming will prove a helpful ally to add to the live stock indus- 

 try, for after the last word has been said and the last acre that can be 

 profitably irrigated and can be successfully dry farmed in our western 

 country, has been brought under cultivation, the major portion of our 

 inter-mountain territory will still remain as a permanent grazing region 

 intersperced with the irrigated valleys and the dry farm uplands afford- 

 ing within easy access the feed and forage which relieves the stock in- 

 dustry of the dangerous element of chance and makes possible the im- 

 provement of our live stock and its finishing at home, so that we shall 

 become the producers of a finished article rather than a raw material, 

 thereby securing the profits which now goes to others." 



3. TEXT OF THE MONDELL BILL WHICH BECAME A LAW 

 JUST PREVIOUS TO THE ASSEMBLING OF THE 

 THIRD ANNUAL DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



"That any person who is a qualified entryman under the homestead 

 laws of the United States may enter, by legal sub-divisions, under the 

 provisions of this act, in the states of Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, 

 Utah, Washington and Wyoming, and the territories of Arizona and New- 

 Mexico, 320 acres, or less, of non-mineral, non-iirrigable, unreserved and 

 unappropriated surveyed public lands which do not contain merchantable 

 timber, located in a reasonably compact body, and not over one and one- 

 half miles in extreme length. Provided, that no lands shall be subject to 

 entry under the provisions of this act until such lands shall have been 

 designated by the secretary of the interibr as not being in his opinion 

 susceptible of irrigation at a reasonable cost from any known source of 

 water supply. 



"Section 2. That any person applying to enter land under the pro- 

 visions of this act shall make and subscribe, before the proper officials 

 an affidavit, as required by Section 2290 of the Revised Statutes, and in 

 addition thereto shall make affidavit that the land sought to be entered 

 is of the character described in Section 1 of this Act and shall pay the 

 fees now required to be paid under the homestead laws. 



Section 3. That any homestead entrynmn of lands of the character 

 herein described, upon which final proof has not been made, shall have 

 the right to enter public lands, subject to the provisions of this act con- 

 tiguous to his former entry which shall not exceed 320 acres, and resi- 

 dence and cultivation of the original entry shall be deemed as residence 

 upon and cultivation of the additional entry. 



