--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Widtsoe, John A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 15 number: 7 published: 1912-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'John A. Widtsoe, "The International Dry-Farming Congress," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 7 (May 1912): 609–613.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1507unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1507unse start_page: 609 end_page: 613 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1507unse publication_year: 1912 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The International Dry-Farming Congress The International Dry-Farming Congress. BY JOHN A. WIDTSOE, PH. D., PRESIDENT UTAH AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, AND INTERNATIONAL DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, AND AUTHOR OF "DRY-FARMING" The settlement in 1847 of the Great Salt Lake Valley by President Brigham Young and his band of pioneers was, aside from its theological significance, an event of tremendous importance to the whole world. It was the first deliberate attempt by civilized men, in a modern age, to make permanent homes in "the desert." Such a venture was needed, for vast "deserts" are found on every continent, and all of the earth's surface must be subdued by man before he can claim dominion over the earth. The word "desert" is now-a-days used with considerable caution. It may soon be forgotten. The "deserts" of the past were districts that received less than about twenty inches of rainfall annually, and therefore were thought to be unfitted for agriculture. Utah, which receives a trifle more than twelve inches annually belonged with the worst of the deserts. Today, a district that receives less than ten inches of rainfall annually is said to be arid; if it receives more than ten inches, but less than twenty inches, it is semi-arid ; if the rainfall is between twenty and thirty inches, the country is sub-humid ; and the humid sections are those that receive an annual rainfall of more than thirty inches. Less than half a century ago it was believed that the humid sections, only, had real agricultural value. Today the eyes of the nations are fixed on "the deserts," as the lands of agricultural promise. Every continent includes immense tracts of arid and semi-arid lands. In the United States 1,400,000 square miles, or 63 per cent of the whole area, receive an annual rainfall of less than twenty inches. Mexico and Canada contain even larger proportions of semi-arid lands. South America, which is the wettest of the continents, includes great regions of low rainfall. Australia, which is larger than continental United States, is two-thirds arid and semi-arid. Africa has large "deserts" in the north and in the 610 IMPROVEMENT ERA south. Asia is essentially an arid and semi-arid continent. Even in Europe large areas are under a low rainfall. In fact, one-fourth of the whole surface of the earth receives less than ten inches of rainfall annually, and is arid; and nearly one-third receives between ten and twenty inches, and is semi-arid. Over fifty-five per cent of the earth's surface, therefore, are to be classed with the "deserts" of old. Only a small portion of this empire of "deserts" has been reclaimed for the use of man. More than one-half of the surface of the earth is yet to be conquered. Brigham Young's problems in the valleys of Utah were indeed world problems. The population of the earth is steadily increasing in numbers. Some say it will be doubled in one hundred years ; it may be trebled. Without doubt it is increasing. With "every year, therefore, more food must be produced. The old farms on the old lands, under present methods, are not yielding increased harvests. This is one of the reasons why every great nation is seeking new lands on which to found colonies that can raise foodstuffs for the over-crowded portions of the earth. Since the humid sections are fairly well occupied, the attention of the land-hungry nations has necessarily been focussed on the arid and semi-arid sections, which as yet are sparsely occupied. Who would have ventured to predict a hundred years ago that the great nations would war or threaten war with each other over the possession of such notably waste places as the Libyan and Sahara Deserts, which include Tripoli, Algeria, The Sudan,' Morocco and other places that have been in the recent limelight of international politics ? The making of gardens in the Great American Desert by Brigham Young and his associates, and in other great deserts by other noble pioneers, has proved that there is virtue in the "desert." Science in her slow but certain way has shown that arid soils are superlatively fertile. They are the most fertile in the world. The pioneers have demonstrated that this fertility may be liberated and made to stimulate plant growth, by the application of water. The experience of half a century has proved that agriculture under arid conditions can be made most pleasant and profitable. It was a great day, that 24th of July, 1847, when the Utah pioneers directed the tiny stream of water from City Creek to the newly planted field. It was the beginning of modern irrigation in THE INTERNATIONAL DRY-EARMING CONGRESS 611 the United States. To the whole world it taught the proper use of the rivers running through or near the "desert :" "Dam them back, and divert their waters to the fields." Irrigation is the fundamental agricultural practice of arid districts. By its help, the incomparably fruitful gardens of the earth will be produced ; intensive agriculture is made possible, and populous cities will arise on "the sands of the desert." It was, however, as great a day when the water in the newlybuilt canal failed, and the discouraged pioneer saw his young wheat field fight the withering heat of the sun throughout the season until at the end it yielded a small harvest of grain. A crop had been raised, without irrigation — in the "desert !" It was a miracle ! Men would not believe it. Only as experience was added to experience, did the understanding come to men that by proper methods of tillage, the small rainfall could be stored in the soil, and because of the wondrously fertile soil could produce a profitable crop without irrigation. Thus was born dry- farming, the complement of irrigation in the material redemption of the portions of the earth that are under a low rainfall. Important as is the art of irrigation, it can not hope to serve more than a small fraction of the arid area of the world. When all the waters in all the suitable rivers have been diverted for irrigation purposes not more than one-sixth, at the outside estimate, of the arid lands of the earth, can be reclaimed by irrigation. The remaining five-sixths, if reclaimed at all, must be reclaimed by the methods of dry-farming. Not more than one-tenth of the area of Utah can we ever hope to bring under irrigation. In dry-farming lies the ultimate hope of reclaiming the "deserts" of the earth. For that reason it has become of world-wide interest. As Ambassador James Bryce said publicly the other day, together with irrigation, it is probably the most important question before the nations. The modern origin of dry-farming lies in Utah, and dates back to the efforts of the Utah pioneers between 1855 and 1875. California, the Northwest, the Great Plains and perhaps other sections later developed it independently. It has been tried out so long and on so many soils that there is no longer any question about its feasibility. Men are concerning themselves now with the proper adaptations of dry-farming methods to the vast variety of 612 IMPROVEMENT ERA soils, climates, crops and precipitation that occurs over the rainless sections of the earth. It is hoped that in time all arid lands may be brought under subjection ; at the present time, the chief efforts are directed to semi-arid conditions ; that is, where an annual rainfall between ten and twenty inches prevails. Dry-farming has become a matter of state interest. Utah, very properly, instituted, under the administration of Gov. Heber M. Wells, the first experimental dry-farms in the country. A score of states and nations have since followed Utah's example. As the work grew in importance, however, the need was felt of an organization that would enable the states and nations to exchange experience and ideas regarding the methods and results of farming without irrigation, under semi-arid conditions. The International Dry-Farming Congress was organized at Denver, in January, 1906. It has held annual meetings since that time in Salt Lake City, Utah; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Billings, Montana ; Spokane, Washington ; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Congress has grown beyond all expectation of those who assisted to organize it. It has assumed a position of great importance in the agricultural work not only in the United States, but in almost every country. It numbers branch organizations in Canada, Mexico, several South American countries, Australia, South Africa and Hungary. To the sessions of the Congress have been sent special delegates from England, France, Germany, AustriaHungary, Russia, Turkey, Palestine, India, China, the South African Federation, Australia, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Canada and other foreign nations. Several nations, notably Russia, Hungary, France and Australia, have kept men in the United States for the purpose of securing information concerning American dryfarming methods. The International Institute of Agriculture recently published a voluminous report on dry-farming written by a Hungarian official. The dry-farm experiment stations in foreign countries now outnumber those of the United States The international character of the sessions of the Congress has shown forcibly how very similar, after all, are the needs and problems of different nations. At the last Congress, held at Colorado Springs, at one forenoon session, delegates from India, Australia, Canada and Brazil discussed the success that had already attended dry-farming in their respective countries, and the THE INTERNATIONAL DRY-FARMING CONGRESS 613 promise it held for the future. It was an inspiration to see the nations unite in the discussion of fundamental problems for the common good of men. Hungary, Canada and several of the states contested for the honor of entertaining- the next session of the Congress. When Canada won, the delegates from Hungary served notice that they intended to continue trying until they succeeded in securing the Congress for Budapest. The next session of the International Dry-Farming Congress will be held in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is the first time that the Congress has gone outside of the United States ; but it is not likely to be the last. The next session bids fair to be a very important one. Many nations are preparing exhibits to be used at the Congress. The Canadian government has appropriated a large sum for exhibition purposes. Secretary Wilson of the United States Department of Agriculture has recommended that $10,000 be used for a Federal exhibit of the dry-farm possibilities of the United States. The various state governments are also taking a lively interest in the next Congress. The Alberta country is of great interest to our people because of the settlements located there under Church direction. The low rate on the railroads ; the great possibilities of the country : the modern methods of the Canadian government, and the programs and exhibits prepared by the Congress, should induce many Utah people to be present at the sessions of the Congress at Lethbridge, Oct. 21st to 26th, 1912. The dry-farming movement is growing with such rapidity that no one person has a true conception of its magnitude. It is world embracing; and may become world saving, in a temporal sense. The great nations of antiquity, which we know practiced agriculture on arid lands without irrigation, have left us a message which we should learn and extend. It is a great joy that the twin arts of irrigation and dry-farming, destined to conquer the larger half of the earth, should have been revived in modern days, for the benefit of all races, by the pioneers of our people when they were heartlessly driven from their homes and lands into the forbidding wilderness. Thus good has come out of an evil purpose ; and honor instead of dishonor has come to the persecuted but honest followers of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Of all people, the Latter-