When the two words are hyphenated, however, a
compound technical term--"dry-farming"--is secured which has a
meaning of its own, such as we have just defined it to be; and
"dry-farming," therefore, becomes an addition to the lexicon.
Dry-versus humid-farming
Dry-farming, as a distinct branch of agriculture, has for its
purpose the reclamation, for the use of man, of the vast unirrigable
"desert" or "semi-desert" areas of the world, which until recently
were considered hopelessly barren. The great underlying principles
of agriculture are the same the world over, yet the emphasis to be
placed on the different agricultural theories and practices must be
shifted in accordance with regional conditions. The agricultural
problem of first importance in humid regions is the maintenance of
soil fertility; and since modern agriculture was developed almost
wholly under humid conditions, the system of scientific agriculture
has for its central idea the maintenance of soil fertility. In arid
regions, on the other hand, the conservation of the natural water
precipitation for crop production is the important problem; and a
new system of agriculture must therefore be constructed, on the
basis of the old principles, but with the conservation of the
natural precipitation as the central idea.
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