Edited by Charles Aldarondo (aldarondo@yahoo.com).
BY JOHN A. WIDTSOE, A.M., Ph. D
1920
Nearly six tenths of the earth's land surface receive an annualrainfall of less than twenty inches, and can be reclaimed foragricultural purposes only by irrigation and dry-farming. Aperfected world-system of irrigation will convert about one tenth ofthis vast area into an incomparably fruitful garden, leaving aboutone half of the earth's land surface to be reclaimed, if at all, bythe methods of dry-farming. The noble system of modern agriculturehas been constructed almost wholly in countries of abundantrainfall, and its applications are those demanded for theagricultural development of humid regions. Until recently irrigationwas given scant attention, and dry-farming, with its world problemof conquering one half of the earth, was not considered. These factsfurnish the apology for the writing of this book.
One volume, only, in this world of many books, and that less than ayear old, is devoted to the exposition of the accepted dry-farmpractices of to-day.
The book now offered is the first attempt to assemble and organizethe known facts of science in their relation to the production ofplants, without irrigation, in regions of limited rainfall. Theneeds of the actual farmer, who must understand the principlesbefore his practices can be wholly satisfactory, have been kept inview primarily; but it is hoped that the enlarging group of dry-farminvestigators will also be helped by this presentation of theprinciples of dry-farming. The subject is now growing so rapidlythat there will soon be room for two classes of treatment: one forthe farmer, and one for the technical student.
This book has been written far from large libraries, and thematerial has been drawn from the available sources. Specificreferences are not given in the text, but the names of investigatorsor institutions are found with nearly all statements of fact. Thefiles of the Experiment Station Record and Der Jahresbericht derAgrikultur Chemie have taken the place of the more desirableoriginal publications. Free use has been made of the publications ofthe experiment stations and the United States Department ofAgriculture. Inspiration and suggestions have been sought and foundconstantly in the works of the princes of American soilinvestigation, Hilgard of California and King of Wisconsin. I amunder deep obligation, for assistance rendered, to numerous friendsin all parts of the country, especially to Professor L. A. Merrill,with whom I have collaborated for many years in the study of thepossibilities of dry-farming in Western America.
The possibilities of dry-farming are stupendous. In the strength ofyouth we may have felt envious of the great ones of old; of Columbuslooking upon the shadow of the greatest continent; of Balboashouting greetings to the resting Pacific; of Father Escalante,pondering upon the mystery of the world, alone, near the shores ofAmerica's Dead Sea. We need harbor no such envyings, for in theconquest of the nonirrigated and nonirrigable desert are offered asfine opportunities as the world has known to the makers and shakersof empires. We stand before an undiscovered land; through therestless, ascending currents o