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Dry-Farming : a System of Agriculture for Countries under a Low Rainfall By: John Andreas Widtsoe (1872-1952) |
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DRY FARMING A SYSTEM OF AGRICULTURE FOR COUNTRIES UNDER LOW RAINFALL BY JOHN A. WIDTSOE, A.M., Ph. D PRESIDENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OF UTAH NEW YORK 1920
TO LEAH THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED JUNE 1, 1910
PREFACE Nearly six tenths of the earth's land surface receive an annual
rainfall of less than twenty inches, and can be reclaimed for
agricultural purposes only by irrigation and dry farming. A
perfected world system of irrigation will convert about one tenth of
this vast area into an incomparably fruitful garden, leaving about
one half of the earth's land surface to be reclaimed, if at all, by
the methods of dry farming. The noble system of modern agriculture
has been constructed almost wholly in countries of abundant
rainfall, and its applications are those demanded for the
agricultural development of humid regions. Until recently irrigation
was given scant attention, and dry farming, with its world problem
of conquering one half of the earth, was not considered. These facts
furnish the apology for the writing of this book. One volume, only, in this world of many books, and that less than a
year old, is devoted to the exposition of the accepted dry farm
practices of to day. The book now offered is the first attempt to assemble and organize
the known facts of science in their relation to the production of
plants, without irrigation, in regions of limited rainfall. The
needs of the actual farmer, who must understand the principles
before his practices can be wholly satisfactory, have been kept in
view primarily; but it is hoped that the enlarging group of dry farm
investigators will also be helped by this presentation of the
principles of dry farming. The subject is now growing so rapidly
that there will soon be room for two classes of treatment: one for
the farmer, and one for the technical student. This book has been written far from large libraries, and the
material has been drawn from the available sources. Specific
references are not given in the text, but the names of investigators
or institutions are found with nearly all statements of fact. The
files of the Experiment Station Record and Der Jahresbericht der
Agrikultur Chemie have taken the place of the more desirable
original publications. Free use has been made of the publications of
the experiment stations and the United States Department of
Agriculture. Inspiration and suggestions have been sought and found
constantly in the works of the princes of American soil
investigation, Hilgard of California and King of Wisconsin. I am
under deep obligation, for assistance rendered, to numerous friends
in all parts of the country, especially to Professor L. A. Merrill,
with whom I have collaborated for many years in the study of the
possibilities of dry farming in Western America. The possibilities of dry farming are stupendous. In the strength of
youth we may have felt envious of the great ones of old; of Columbus
looking upon the shadow of the greatest continent; of Balboa
shouting greetings to the resting Pacific; of Father Escalante,
pondering upon the mystery of the world, alone, near the shores of
America's Dead Sea. We need harbor no such envyings, for in the
conquest of the nonirrigated and nonirrigable desert are offered as
fine opportunities as the world has known to the makers and shakers
of empires. We stand before an undiscovered land; through the
restless, ascending currents of heated desert air the vision comes
and goes. With striving eyes the desert is seen covered with
blossoming fields, with churches and homes and schools, and, in the
distance, with the vision is heard the laughter of happy children. The desert will be conquered. JOHN A. WIDTSOE. June 1, 1910.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION DRY FARMING DEFINED Dry farming, as at present understood, is the profitable production
of useful crops, without irrigation, on lands that receive annually
a rainfall of 20 inches or less... Continue reading book >>
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