Dry-Farming : A System of Agriculture for Countries under a Low RainfallWidtsoe, John Andreas
Science
Dry-Farming : A System of Agriculture for Countries under a Low Rainfall
Widtsoe, John Andreas
Dry farming
The sources of water for dry-farms fall readily into classes:
surface waters and subterranean waters. The surface waters, wherever
they may be obtained, are generally the most profitable. The
simplest method of obtaining water in an irrigated region is from
some irrigation canal. In certain districts of the intermountain
region where the dry farms lie above the irrigation canals and the
irrigated lands below, it is comparatively easy for the farmers to
secure a small but sufficient amount of water from the canal by the
use of some pumping device that will force the water through the
pipes to the homestead. The dry-farm area that may be so supplied by
irrigation canals is, however, very limited and is not to be
considered seriously in connection with the problem.
A much more important method, especially in the mountainous
districts, is the utilization of the springs that occur in great
numbers over the whole dry-farm territory. Sometimes these springs
are very small indeed, and often, after development by tunneling
into the side of the hill, yield only a trifling flow. Yet, when
this water is piped to the homestead and allowed to accumulate in
small reservoirs or cisterns, it may be amply sufficient for the
needs of the family and the live stock, besides having a surplus for
the maintenance of the lawn, the shade trees, and the family garden.
Many dry-farmers in the intermountain country have piped water seven
or eight miles from small springs that were considered practically
worthless and thereby have formed the foundations for small village
communities.
Of perhaps equal importance with the utilization of the naturally
occurring springs is the proper conservation of the flood waters. As
has been stated before, arid conditions allow a very large loss of
the natural precipitation as run-off. The numerous gullies that
characterize so many parts of the dry-farm territory are evidences
of the number and vigor of the flood waters. The construction of
small reservoirs in proper places for the purpose of catching the
flood waters will usually enable the farmer to supply himself with
all the water needed for the homestead. Such reservoirs may already
be found in great numbers scattered over the whole western America.
As dry-farming increases their numbers will also increase.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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