| Show I QiU Reclamation o oBy of f the Sage g Wastes s rl 0 Eo E t E o By Prof L A Merrill Agronomist Utah Experiment Exp Station in n Charge Arid Farming harming t t I t tj tI n 11 II l v j I r i 1 i I I t L LI ei I I r ri tl i Jn y yI t I I IiI Ii IiI IiII I I JJ A l ll Ill 1 I i II I t I ri I 1 f i iI I 11 I t i iI If I z i I I I t tI II r t K I f i iI r i iI r i I I N t y y yF yn I F I n a v K 1 fl C Cco 1 J ed co r s1 s tr tro h o 2 r o e er ea I f J 3 r 1 I il 1 r iZ I v a t d r I I I HERE are a great creat maD who think I I THERE that dry farming is a new now agricultural practise This Is not true The farmers of ot oft t Utah have havo been raising crops on their dry dr lands with a rainfall of less than 15 16 inches for tor forI snore more than half hal a century now no More than that I I since the dawn been practised I dry farming has II f of o civilization In Egypt and In India r I The beginning of dry farming In this state ocr oc occurred occurred I I through an accident Along In 1865 1365 a lit little little littie tle tie company of immigrants most of whom hailed from the Scandinavian countries settled in the i I Bear River valley valle and diverted the waters from The Tho wat waters the Malad river for irrigation purposes heavy with alkali and It I 1 ers ors of this stream are aro I was only a matter of or a few years ears until the lands of ot the settlers became so 50 largely impregnated Imp reg regI I I 1 Hated with tho the noxious salts that crops were I 1 them In desperation tho the r unable to grow upon settlers put the plow into tho the sagebrush ground I seed In tho the thoI I and find with a hopeless hope planted I I soil that was as not to be Irrigated They The succeeded in their work worl and since that time dry farming I i I methods have havo been in vogue in this state II III I DAVIS COUNTY PIONEER PIO EER I Father Christopher Lay Layton Laton ton a pioneer of Davis county count more than 40 years ago showed that tho thoI I I ridge between Salt Lake City and Ogden would i produce wheat without the application of water II I I i Mr Ir Joshua Salisbury of Wellsville George L Farrell of Smithfield and many mun other proms prom prominent 1 I 1 j nent vent farmers of northern Utah Utan early earl saw tho the thoI I great opportunity thIs method of farming af at afforded forded and gained their livelihood from tho the sage brush lands above tho the Irrigation canals nals In Inthe Inthe Inthe the early earh nineties dry diy dl farming flourished In tho the northern counties of ot this state slate but the people j of the central and southern j cart art looked upon I it as a practise which could never extend below I Salt Lake City CIt It has only been within the tho past rust pastI I I t few few years that a tow few venturesome farmers at attempted attempted tempted dry farming in tho the central and anI south southern 1 I ern part vart of ot the state STATE INTERESTED I I Some Somo seven years ears ago the state legislature camo came cameI I to the aid of this enterprise and established six bix I 1 I experimental farms all south of Salt Lake Lako City Y YI I I II I and at widely varying points The Tho experiments experiment on I these farms were ere carefully planned and the re results reI I I i I suits obtained were so bo w that It took tooka a vigorous hold on op the tho public Imagination Today Toda r I there thero are few people In tho the state who do not nut honestly believe that dry dr farming has come to tobo toI I I bo be ono one of or the permanent Institutions of Utah 1 and that the tho method so HO long In vogue of ot Irrl Irrigating i i I gating wheat and other cereals is 15 a soon son to pass I it into history hl tor torI II I SHOOT SMOOT S HOMESTEAD SLAW LAW I The Tho year jear rl 1 r 1909 1909 has h ahas seen a wonderful progress In InI dry dr farming Tho The passage of or Smoot home homestead I stead law whereby tho the settlers Is IB enabled to toI 1 secure aO acres pf lf land from the government I Without being required to live upon it but obtained under much tho the same provision as ns the tho old all act has given a wonderful Impetus t I i I to this industry Thousands of acres of land have been secured under this act and many man thousands II of or acres ot sago sage brush land have been cleared plowed and prepared red for tor crops j PROMPTLY SNAPPED SAPPED UP I i Up In tho northern end of the tho state tate the tho Hon lion I 1 Joseph Howell David Eccles end md other prominent nent neat citizens secured several hundred thousand i tl 1 acres of ot dry land In northwestern Boxelder l county from the tho Southern Pacific railroad and these lands knee havo boon been offered to tho the public A AI Ait it number of oC public sales have been held hold and the tho I eagerness with which these lands have been pur purchased purI purchased I I chased has been a n source of ot astonishment even evento evento evento to the most optimistic dry farmer furmer Sago brush I i I lands landa have have exchanged hands In some Instances l I 1 I Ii t I 1 v i 1 1 n w r G o I t q 1 a ear eary y yi y y i y i BOUNDLESS POSSIBILITIES OF ARID SAGE BRUSH LANDS X HE passage of the Smoot homestead law whereby the settler is enabled to secure acres of land from the United States tates i i THE government without being required to live upon it but obtained under much the same provision as the old homestead act has given a wonderful impetus to the pursuit of arid farming in the State of Utah this year Through the aid rendered by the State Legislature in the establishing of six experimental farms in Utah the agricultural investor has become decidedly interested in the problem of raising crops on what heretofore has been classed as practically worthless desert lands Dry farming has now passed the experimental stage and has attained the dignity of one of the permanently established industries of the state which bids fair to surpass all others when the initial outlay of cash and the revenue accruing are taken into consideration Dry farming fanning is not new in agricultural practice for s S early as 1865 there were Scandinavian dry farmers operating in Utah successfully while the cultivation of arid lands has been practiced for centuries in Egypt and India r ri i This season past has seen crops of 30 bushels of wheat to the acre harvested from thousands of acres in Utah At the prevailing price of the staff of life this means practically boundless wealth awaiting the enterprise and industry of man with the nerve to com con combat combat bat the waste places of the Beehive State i ir r In tho the neighborhood of 15 I per acre and these thello are aro lands that are so situated that they the cannot be bo Irrigated This fact shows tho the faith of tho the people In the northern counties In this Industry CEDAR VALLEYS WEALTH In the control central and southern portions of the state there have been no sensational movements along dry d farming lines linos but there thero has been a healthful and normal Increase In the number of acres of land brought under cultivation For tho the time the farmers who have havo located at nt Cedar Ce ar Valley VaHey have havo reaped splendid returns for 01 their efforts In reclaiming those desert lands Mr L LE LE E 13 Hall city councilman of Salt Lake City CIt as associated associated with Pres James Clark of Lohi Loht have hao havea a fine fino tract of land In tho the northern end of Cedar Valley which this year ear yielded In to the tho neighbor neighborhood neIghborhood neighborhood hood of 30 bushels p per r aero acre Chipman Evans Eans and other othor Utah valley farmers farmer who arc aro aroa Interested In Cedar Valley also had a large tract which gave a very ver satisfactory yield SUCCESSFUL IN JUAB In Juab county count where the tho Industry has been flourishing to a greater r extent than In any other part of ot the state In recent years tho the farmers have havo been wonderfully successful The rho light precipitation during the growing months of May 1 a June and July Jul rather discouraged the tho farmers there and they felt for a u time that failure was certain The precipitation for May was but 62 6 of an nn Inch as compared with Inches Inch os for the tho same samo month In 1908 1905 for tor the tho same bame month In 1907 and 9 during durin the same month for 1906 In June the precipitation was but 17 of an inch while last ast year during tho the same sarno month It was 64 In 1907 1307 and In 1906 13 43 of an Inch In July Jul tho the precipitation was but 89 of an Inch This year ear the light precipitation during tho the growing months caused the farmers considerable uneasiness ness nes but at the time of harvesting It was found that the tho crops were entirely satisfactory I SOME SO IE TYPICAL CROPS A Mr Ir Christensen formerly county count treasurer of Juab county count purchased a dry dr farm near No phi phia a little more moro than a n year ago aso The Tho Held field was put In an excellent state stale of ot cultivation and tho first years ears crop croll brought him 30 90 bushels to the tho aero acre which readily sold at per bushel Tho The Grace Graco Brothers were very er successful this year r ras as was also Mr James and many man other dry farmers on the Levan Ridge It II Is at this point that tho the Utah Arid Farm Faun company has Has Its splendid farm of over acres During this past year they had nearly 2000 acres in wheat and It Il Is bald said that the re returns returns turns satisfactory The Tho wheat was clean and plump and found a ready rend sale at per ITer bushel There Thero Is III a great movement In dry dr farming down at Enterprise and a great many Salt Lake Lako people are Interested In the land there thore The season has been a very dry one there theio not being a D trace of ot moisture during May and June but the record for August shows 25 Inches and for September inches so that It Is apparent that the crop for next year has a most excellent start UNDEVELOPED SAN JUAN JUA The great undeveloped dry dr farming fanning section of or orthe the tho state Is to be found In San Juan county There Thero are arc millions of acres of the choicest land In the state to bo be found there and there thero Is a splendid precipitation During 1906 tho the precipitation n at Verdure was nas 26 25 Inches during 1907 It was 1488 1438 Inches The Tho records for tor this season beason arc are not available at this time but from the records we wo have wo we are aro sure suro that tho the precipitation Is higher there than at practically any other point In tho the state The Tho state experimental farm arm at Verdure ordure has yielded as high as 50 GO bushels per acre acro by dry dr farming methods San Juan county Is III a great empire and In the tha not far tar distant future this wonderful county will bo the granary of Utah Ulah There Thera have havo been een some somo enterprising young oung men menI r I go so Into that section during the past year rear and they are aro making considerable progress In re reclaiming reclaimIng reclaiming claiming the tho sage brush land there RECORD In Tooele county count the Industry has been very or successful The precipitation at Tooele Is III about the tho same as at Salt Lake Lale averaging each year ear earIn In the neighborhood of ot 14 inches The Tho precipitation precipitation tion during 1908 was 1 1059 59 9 inches and up to Oct 1st thIs year ear the precipitation Is 1037 1017 Inches so BO that It Is very that the pro pre precipitation this year will be up lip to the tho average The Tho ho writer has taken talc en several trips trills through that section sec section tion lion during tho the past summer and finds that each Succeeding year ear sees more land brought under cultivation THE EXPERIMENTAL FARMS The Tho first fil l experimental 1 farms to study stud problems connected with dry dl farming farm I n it Is said were re started by of ot Colorado In 1894 1594 For lack Inck of or funds these stations wore were abandoned and It Itis ItIs itis is to the tho State of Utah that the tho honor belongs of ot having first established and an successfully main maintained maIntaIned maintained a series of dry dr land experiment stations Since the tho year 1595 the reclamation of the deserts without irrigation has been the subject of or much discussion among the tho officers of tho the Utah experiment experIment experiment ment station in 1901 a n system of Investigations was begun by b Dr and the tho writer and in 1903 Governor Wells recommended In his message to w the legislature that experimental dry dr farms be bo established Six of ot these farms havo have been maintained each farm consisting of 40 acres Tho The citizens of ot the tho state have taken taleen considerable In Interest Int Wrest terest t rest In the work which has lies simplified tho the inauguration of experimental work and the successful suc successful prosecution pr of or the Investigations The farms arc under the tho direction of the tho Utah ex experiment station PLANTED PLA lED TO TURKEY RED PIED WHEAT The Tho farms at Tooele Enterprise parowan Rich l d t T I I field and Monticello have this hll year ear been mostly fallowed and durIng the tho past fall have havo been boon 1 planted to Turkey Ture Red lied wheat The Tho farms have 11 demonstrated the possibility of ot dry dr farming in their respective localities It Is believed bellove by b the officers of ot the experiment station that from now I on more good will be bo accomplished by b making i these farms seed farms for tho the production of tho the finest varieties of seeds for distribution among the farmers In these various localities and con conduct conduct conduct duct the experimental work wort In connection with this subject at one ono station The United States department of agriculture has cooperated with the Utah experiment sta station station station tion In a l series of Investigations at tho the station This station has during the past year ear been beon enlarged to acres The government do de details tails a man who spends the entire growing season on the farm arm This man roan Is under tho the direction of ot the tho officers of or the Utah experiment station as aswell aswell aswell well as all the department deportment of or agriculture Mr Stephen Boswell Bo a successful dry farmer armer of ot NephI Is foreman i MOISTURE CARRIED OVER OYEn r The Tho experimental farms have demonstrated that by b proper methods a certain percentage of j moisture can be carried over from ono one season to another They The havo have demonstrated that tho the finest are aro those grown on dry land that summer fallow Is an essential practise in this I I locality to successful success ul dry dr farming that tho the amount of or seed used on the dry lands should not I exceed ICi 16 pounds to the acre that fall plow plowing ing lug Is absolutely necessary and that tho the ground must bo be kept entirely free freo from weeds Tho rho publication of the tho results of these experiments experiments experiments ments has been the tho means of attracting hundreds of new settlers to Utah All of this work has been accomplished with tho the exceedingly low ap of per annum I HONOR ACCORDED UTAH At tho the last Dry Dr Farming congress held at Billings Montana the honor was accorded Utah of being tho pioneer r In dry dr farming work vork The excellent work worle done by lW the tho Utah experiment station in these investigations has called tho the at attention I of the people throughout this whole I country countr to the tho possibilities of ot this great industry l I lIn In the not fat far fa l distant future this country countr will willbo j I Iho bo ho as thickly populated as the tho countries con of tho the theOld Old OIl World orld Every one ono of Its ita Inhabitants will viii have havo 1 to be fed and clothed and tho the food and clothing will have havo to como come from the soil Our valuable Irrigated lands are |
