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Show , DRY-FARM EXPERIMENTS We ate glad to see the Idea of experl-mentlng experl-mentlng In dry farming as dlstln- i gulshed from farming hy irrigation in nil this arid region, taking form In at- J tual work I tah led the way. by pro- vlding for dry farms In this State, and the results have been such as to Justify further efforts and the expenditure of j more money In trying to raise crops wlthOUl Irrigation. The exhibits at the I'tah State Fair the past two seasons i of the products of the dry farms h(ic been vastly encouraging in many ways, but principally in demonstrating that good crops of grain and grasses. With some other crops, can be grown j Without watering the ground It Is the experience and lesson of the experiments made, that by production of seed on thes dry farms, and the careful SSlectlOn of seeds adapted to withstand the droughts, some special varieties can be developed that will in- sure a reasonable certalntj of good yields on these dry farms. In any season sea-son And by a succession of special selections nf seeds, In the COUrSe of the years, with a view to saving sav-ing the best in drought-resisting power, results fat beyond anything yet achieved can be attained The I'tah lesson might well be utilized util-ized on a wider scope than it Is possible possi-ble to do In any one State It is work for which the U. S Department of Agriculture Is especiall equipped, and in which its efforts would be f signal service Experiments bj thai Depart- j mem could prObablj be made exlen- ! slvely even without special act of Congress, and we believe they hae been io some extent made. But still we commend the bill just Introduced in Congress b Representative Mondell of Wyoming, to authorize ihe Secretarj Of Agriculture to carry on eaperlmenta and investigations with a view of determining de-termining thi best methods for the utilization util-ization of limited supplies of water for Irrigation, ai d by experiment to acer- taln the kinds of SC da manner of cultivation, culti-vation, and farming Implements best adapted to development ,, dry farming and use of the limited supply of water." And that second purpose, ihe experimental experi-mental inn in the limited use of water for growing crops, Is also of the highest Importance That far more water than In necessary Is habitually usod In farming farm-ing in this arid region is admitted; In fact, the evil of ovei -Irrigation Is get-ling get-ling to be one of the serious problems of the country. That is a branch of Inquiry In-quiry which the Department of Agriculture Agri-culture could occupj officially alone, for no State has provided for experiments experi-ments in this line, though many wide-H wide-H k - farmers and farm Institutions are very much alive the subject. The Mondell bill Is a good one. and we should be glad to see It pass. , i |