AMERICA’S DESERT

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1926, Page 4

AMERICA’S DESERT

How research in agriculture and invention of machines to take the place of hum*.mi nature have transformed several hundred thousand square miles of gopher-infested treeless prairies denuded by prairie dogs, into rolling yellow wheat fields and rich cattle lands, was described bv President F. D. Farrell, of Kansas State Agricultural College, before the meeting of the American Association for the Advancemein of Science at Kansas City, U.S.A., on December 29. As' late as 1858, President Farrell raid, serious-minded people, considered importing camels with which to traverse this “Great American Desert,” if it could he done at all. Lieutenant Pike, who headed Government exploring parties into this region from 1805 to 1807, said that the very barrenness of this region would be Hie saving of the nation.

“From these immense prairies,” lie said, “may he derived at least one great advantage,, namely, the restriction of the population of the United States to within certain limits, and thereby a continuation of the Union. Our citizens, being so prone to rambling, will, through necessity, be forced to limit their western wanderings to tlio liorders of the Afissouri and the Alississippi, and leave the prairies, incapable of cultivation, to the wandering and uncivilised Indians.”

“Kansas and Nebraska, located midway between the north and south border of what was known as a desert eighty years ago, now contain more than three million people, or about one-half as many as the whole United States contained at the time when Pike made bis exploration,” President Farrell said. “Last year they harvested crops from more than forty million acres of land, a pateli as big as six Xow England States.” , There was a certain amount of truth iu the desert myth. President Farrell said. The crops of the eastern States would not grow there, and clover .would not grow for forage. Without crops for people, forage for cattle or lumber for building, man could not hope, to livn there. In the slow course of years, however, plants were brought from other parts of the world that would grow or. the prairies. Hard red winter wheat was brought From Russia to replace the soft spring wheat that did not I thrive. Alfalfa from Asia, reaching this country by way of the west coast of South America, and grass from Africa became prosperous naturalised plant citizens. Railroads were built and camels were not needed and luinlier was easily transported for building. Giant sowers, thrashers, reapers, and ploughs took the place of human labour. Gophers, moles and prairie dogs were exterminated and grasshoppers, the plague of the prairies were poisoned wholesale.

The great plains region is not yet fully developed. President Farrell said. It is capable of supporting many millions of additional people, as science finds new plants, new facts, better machinery and improved distribution.