Show HISTORY AND ANT ADVANCE OF ARID FARMING IN Dr U AH Owing to the great areas now being opened up by the State Land Board and private concerns all through Utah irrigation irrigation irr- irr gation and dry farming methods of agriculture are becoming becoming becom- becom r ing all the more interesting It is expected that the irrigation irrigation J gation congress to be hel held at Albuquerque within a few CI days will do much for this work and arouse more interest c not alone th through rough Utah an and d the mountain Inter-mountain West but throughout the agricultural districts of the East The i agricultural college at Logan is taking a foremost part in t Utah in this work The history of agriculture in Utah is both interesting and instructive DR JOHN JOlIN WIDSTOE PRESIDENT OF TIlE THE UTAH AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE COL COL- LEGE LEGI When the pioneers entered the Great Salt Lake valloy valley on July 21 I 1 1847 thoro there was wad no thought In their minds that cropo could over bo produced In tho heart of ot the great American desert without tho artificial application of ot water Every person acquainted with the Great Basin whether trapper trader trad trad- er or traveler had Insisted that It wasa was waa a a. hopelessly barren desert In which It lt was waa questionable If It crops could be bo produced oven even by tho the use of at tion The Tho pioneers themselves who came from tho the relatively rainy districts of ot Missouri Ohio Now Kow York and thoi tho i Now ow England states felt folt that the situ situ- atlon waa difficult enough without at attempts attempts attempts at- at tempts to compel profitable plants to get along with tho natural rainfall of ot ofa ofa a It region Ion on which scanty sagebrush rind and sunflowers were tho the predominating native It Is Js no wonder therefore there thero- fore lore that tho the records relate that on tho first day of at tho arrival of et tho plorA pioneers plo plo- Deers rA a ft furrow was dug duJ tou ta permit I the water of ot City creek creele to flow how Or O over soli in fn which a few fow potatoes had been planted The Tue First Arid Funning Fanning In fn Utah A As timo time wore on on however and now new Irrigation canals unal wore were built and moreland more moro moreland land wao waa brought under cultivation many fortunate fortunato mishaps occurred In Innumerous Innumerous numerous Instances crops that had been planted under projected canals failed to receive tho expected Irrigation water water wa wn wa- wa ter yet to the tho astonishment t of ot tho Urn toWns tolling pioneer it ft occasionally h happened happened hap hap- p. p that tho tim plants flourished and matured with tho assistance only atthe of at the th water In tho the soil at tho the timo of ot Planting plaiting and that which fell tell from tram tho the heavens ens during tho period of at growth I This made tub tho pioneers think nin of or or pos pos- Thus after tho difficult entrance Into tho desert had been made mado and conquest was fairly under way tho the minds of ot the tho more thoughtful must have havo busied themselves with tho tim dImand dim dimand dimand and distant possibilities of or producing crops without irrigation From tho the existing records and from tho words of ot many of tho veterans who still BUll survive It Is evident that attempts on a Co small scale scab were made In the tho early CDs CD's to grow ow grain especially wheat without irrigation Most of or these attempts failed because they were generally made on portions of or Irrigation tar Tho rho farmers of ot that day were Wore not aware ware of ot tho the fact so 80 well under understood tood by us u. that U r farming without Irrigation can not cot bo be practiced successfully on soils sells that in occasional years arc aro Hooded with Irrigation water Experiment In Dear nl River RI r City CUr Then about 1865 came camo an experiment I on n a a. a much larger scale A company of ot immigrants moat most of ot whom hailed t tom from torn om tho Urn Scandinavian countries had bad set set- tIed In what Is now known as Bear Boar River flyer City and bad had diverted water for tor their farms from the tho Malad river The Tho waters of ot this stream arc are heavy with alkali and It Jt was waa only a matter of ot a fow few years until tho the lands of ot tho the set set- became so largely Impregnated with tho the obnoxious salts that crops were unable to grow STow upon them In desperation tho then put th the thu plow Into tho the sagebrush Gas ground and with a hopeless hope planted seed sed In atoll noil that was wae not to bo be irrigated Tho The community watched and prayed the tIme Reeds grew Crew Into sturdy plants which fought tho the summer sun and flowered and produced seed an and 1 made mado farming without irrigation a permanent Institution institution tion around Bear River City and tho the valley In which it Is la located About tho same tame time or a fow tow years cars later some time before 1870 Father ChrIstopher Layton one ono of ot the ol old typo qt the pioneers who loved not tion well but preferred the conquest of ot the tho plowed up the soil coil of or tho the sand band ridge between Salt Lake Lako I City and Ogden and In tho the prepared I soil planted wheat Tho hot winds windi I came camo down the mountain side and 1 picked tho the up sand Band In clouds but th the wb wheat at grew cw and Vi prospered and ark arid I M o lino ever since been 11 establish ed on th the famous sand Band ridge of ot Salt Lake Lako valley Even Major J 3 W W. V. V Powell thought tho tio sight of ot those dry farms was shans o and antI felt folt impelled to make mako special mention of ot It in his volume the arid lands published in on ou WaN ON Prophetic To ro tho the of Utah such Buch I be be- bes ginnings wera of ot course prophetic of ot things to come Brigham his Young in travels t up and antI down tho valleys of ot Utah predicted to all who would listen that In time to como come tho the lands above and aUd away from the tiLe Irrigation atlon canals would bo be covered with profitable folds fields of or wheat and other othor crops Tho The listeners to such doctrines were not at many that for Cor th few tow people In tho the state time were so 80 busily engaged In Iii diverting tho the waters of ot tho rivers at tho that they Uley had no time to give o the reclamation of ot tho the rivers desert and without irrigation Only as QS the tho streams passed Into private oto ownership and tho the population ed cd dill did the tho people of ot Utah begin to tc turn their attention seriously t arid L farming Thus it happened that though tho m possibilities of ot arid known farming I in tho CDs CD's tho real beginning of or farming without Irrigation In Utah m can scarcely be said to have havo occurred i before tho the early curly years yeara of or the tho SOs SOe In m the tho early It flourished In tho the northern north north- cm ern counties of oJ the tho state but tho peo peo- plo in tho sou souTh looked upon it as QS a practice which h never cover could cross Ute the east and west line lino running through I Salt SnIt Lake City and it was only in tho tin late hate 90 that a n few fow venturesome venturesome- spirits spirit 3 attempted farming arming without Irrigation in the central and south southern rn part port of or the tim S tate state The results that wore thoro obtaIned ob ob- tamed were wro wore so wonderful that It took tool C a a. vigorous hold 1 on tho Urn public tion The rhe state gave its aid als lent their Influence to tho move I ment meat and today thoro there are arc few people in Jim the state who do o not honestly be be- be lieve that Judging from tho the orIc of ot the tho past fanning arming without ir Jr irrigation Ir promises promise to bo be tho the leading branch of ot Limo tho agricultural Industry of ot a f four our state During tho ho period of ot 20 o yearn of ot lim lIm- and nd nd 20 o years of ot extensive farm tarm- Jog ing nG In Iii Utah distinguished by un an at al- al most mOlt unvarying success there thoro hay have 0 been learned of ot course courso many principles pIes ples which are almost axiomatic to tIm the tho 0 arid farmer of ot tho tIme state Fortunately wo aro in pos o of ot f rainfall taken In accordance 0 with th this the best method of or th time time and an LI I covering tho whole period of or arid arim i farming in Utah Tho The rainfall record d of Salt Lake Lako City goes back with a an n almost unbroken lino line to the tho year L The rainfall record at Corinne near nea r tho the Bear River City already referred it to goes goe back to 1871 1371 This knowledge e o of the rainfall for a a. generation or more moreIn moreIn C In localities whore dr dry farming ha has haB S been successful during tho the same number number num nurn ber of ot years rears enables us to assert with safety Baety that wherever tho thio annual I precipitation amounts to about twelve S Inches tho tim profitable production o of ot f wheat corn and other grains without t Irrigation Is certain providing tinI tin the proper tillage is practiced and the tho soil soi I Is allowed to lie lio fallow over every other r year night flight Kind hind of ut Soil boll The Tue experience o of tho Urn pa t. t has gIver given I us somo very ery definite information con con- corning tho right kind of oC soil for Cor the tIme production of or crops without irrigation Tho solln of oC Utah aro almost without exception of ot high fortuity fertility and we have havo no occasion at present to worry about tho thio food oo requirements of ot tho the plants that aro are grown For tho the suc successful SUC- SUC uc- uc prosecution of or branch of oC agriculture tho soli soil must be bo looked Jool upon as a reservoir for Cor or holding tho the water that falls In tho the form Corm of or rain and snow It Is tho LImo moisture already stored in the soil In the tho spring that thatIs Is of ot greatest help in pro producing crops Tho TIme rains that fall tall in the early summer summer summer sum sum- mer ma may or may not bo ho helpful Wo have havo gradually learned that if It our soils aro well stored store with moisture In tho tIme spring plants ma may bo be produced whether rain falls taUs or not during the thero growing ro season I have havo no rio doubt that in HI and anu In tho states to 10 tho LilU I north and cast east tho the same samo principle must be bo learned and applied to farmIng farm farm- Ing log without Irrigation before Lefore It will be tho the success that It should be Tho essential requisite of ot a soil soli to be used by the arid farmer is depth and andas andas andas as far tar as possible un uniformity Ito rm It Gravel Gra streaks or 01 a gravelly s sub soil are are- detrimental because they Interfere with tho the continuity of ot tho the soil soli There Thero must bo be a u continuous layer of or soil SolI from the surface to the thc greatest depth attained by tho the roots If the tho storage capacity of oC the tho soil reservoir Is to bo ho utilized properly It matters little whether tho soil coil Is a 0 s sand sund nd clay or loam Tho The rid go on which Father Layton Laton practiced dry tIry farming In tho the lute late Is si a coarse co Kan sand a and ana the soil near D Bear Dr r River flyer City on which the Danish farmers far far- mers leers produced prOduce 1 dry crops In iii Is it ft a somewhat heavy clay loam Toda Today successful dr dry farms arms anns aro uro found on every kind of ot soil soH ranging Ins from tho heaviest cla clay to tho lightest sand In this con con- It Is amusing to recall that Major J. J W. W V Powell to whom the West owes a great debt o of gratitude yet largely unpaid whilo studying tho the arid lands of ot Utah found the main dry farms arms in 1870 on rather sandy soils and hastily concluded as may be bo found by referring to 10 tho the L Lands of or the time Arid Region that in hIs hla opinion farming without Irrigation would bo be successful only on light sandy soils In choosing a soil for an arid farm It must bo be rom remembered that much o of the secret of or success lies In causing the water to pass down n rather far below tho the surface that Is tho time rainfall of ot tho time season should be bo stored to a depth ordinarily at least sIx lx to eight t feet and in many cases much deeper dooler Under such conditions It Is 18 far from tho the ef Ct- et- et of oC tho the sun and may bo ho drawn I upon slowly as needed by plant roots Water Vator Is held as LS a a. thin film around tho thic I particles of ot soil Tho The thicker this film I ID lEI tho more rapidly will evaporation oc- oc oc cur our If It the tho water Is kept In tho the upper few fow Inches of the tho first foot or two o of t tho soil eoll soil tho the soil water film will b be i thicker than If It tho water is permitted I to descend to greater depths depth am and I therefore evaporation will go on more inor rapidly It is easier casler for tor plants ts tl ti to draw thaw water from a 0 thick film than from 1 a thin ln ono one and since plants hn i. i nn 0 mar m of cd power of regulating ns- ns the tho illo amount amoun u t t water they thoy evaporate It Is desirable C to control them thorn by maintaining th tho 0 soil il so water In n R condition of ot a thin thi very n film tUm fi lm As A far tar as time the water holding ca cc p of a soil soli is concerned 1 12 inches 18 o of f precipitation could easily bo ho imel held d i In n three or four inches of soil eoll bu but it should hould s this timis be done lene It would lead to 0 t tho he absolute failure of ot i crops under ot our mr intense Western sun Bun The Thc water mum must it b bo o allowed to distribute Itself to a I c considerable n l depth I for Moisture Fallo Fallowing Is i an essential feature of ot f f farming arming without Irrigation In arid an Id c countries Tho Time old students of ot I- I t ture turo une who dwelt In t that hat humid regions taunt taul mt lands were only for tor ti tho rn s etting free treo of fertility The arid fa tar far r- r mer ner r knows that tho time soil soli must be bo lowed l fal tal fa I- I owed for tor the tho purpose of ot gathering U the tho te rainfall of ot for tho the two seasons to be us used d production l of or one ono crop Fol Fol- 1 lowing owing out this I line lIno of ot bo be said that thought It mm may y I 1 12 Inches of or even oven with much less than hr I precipitation It may Inny I bo be e i po possible to produce If It tho the crops profitably 7 rainfall is not sufficient to 0 duco duce pro pro- pr crops with certainty on once co In tho time two moIsture years it might bo well to colIc colle collect t of ot or for tor the more moro seasons as maintenance of ot one ono crop Ev Even en a crop every cry three ten tel than years fa Is be bet t- t the time sagebrush d. d rabbit brush shad scale and tova t- t ova ors that now inhabit our deserts Il How T y to Get at r 10 Into to time tIc Soil Soli With a suitable eoll soIl and a rea reason on C- C ably bly sufficient rainfall the two 1 fu fun tut- ii- ii questions In arid farming aro at o First how to got get tho the water Into t tho ho soil solI i and secondly how to keep It there thoro until needed by plants By lly do deep ep plowing tho lie soil noil must bo be placed in a 0 condition to bo ho a It ready y absorbent of ot any rainfall or snowfall however ho lil liCht it that may full Call upon It Water Yater does n not OL soak easily into H t thard hard and compacted compact ci soil soli and In a soil eoll that has been plow plowed cd shallow tho the suns Buns rays In frequently su suc HUC- c- c moisture robbing the tIme soil of or much of ot I Its 5 Deep plowing i IB lB therefore re always aJ recommended on our Ut Utah sh farms Moreover to obtain sible sibIl every cry pa pos pos- 5 advantage from the fall taU mi rains Cs and win winter tor snows snowa tho the doctrine has hns be been en laId laid down do that tho only |