Dry-farming, however, is well established. There are large areas,
especially in Nevada, that receive less than ten inches of rainfall
annually, and one of the leading problems before the dry-farmers of
this district is the determination of the possibility of producing
crops upon such lands without irrigation. On the older dry-farms,
which have existed in some cases from forty to fifty years, there
are no signs of diminution of soil-fertility. Undoubtedly, however,
even under the conditions of extremely high fertility prevailing in
the Great Basin, the time will soon come when the dry-farmer must
make provision for restoring to the soil some of the fertility taken
away by crops. There are millions of acres in the Great Basin yet to
be taken up and subjected to the will of the dry-farmer.
Colorado and Rio Grande River Basins
The Colorado and Rio Grande River Basins include Arizona and the
western part of New Mexico. The chief dry-farm crops of this dry
district are wheat, corn, and beans. Other crops have also been
grown in small quantities and with some success. The area suitable
for dry-farming in this district has not yet been fully determined
and, therefore, the Arizona and New Mexico stations are undertaking
dry-farm surveys of their respective states.
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