Chapter Eight, An Agricultural Empire.
This chapter describes the trials and tribulations of the farmers in the west. The stories vary from Mormons moving west to settle in the Utah valley to Mexican Rancheros in California. The stories included European immigrants from Norway as well as the Indians who had been cultivating long before the European newcomers. The ranchers with their grazing animals were slowly but continuously followed by the stationary crop farmers. Most farmers followed the water ways because of the necessity of irrigable areas for most crops. These farmers, through many hardships, grew a great industry of grains, livestock, potatoes and vegetables of all kinds.
One of the interesting sections within the chapter is titled Climatic Adaptation. This section describes how the various farmers had to change their farming techniques to compensate for the arid land that most of the West contained. Often, the farmers would settle during a rainy period that may last a few years. Then, the normal arid conditions would return causing great difficulties that needed new solutions. Using drought resistant crops was one way to adapt to the land if some water could be had. Sometimes the ideas that 'specialists' would devise were no more use than snake oil form a traveling huckster. In California the rainy period greatly perplexed the farmers who were accustomed to near constant rainfall. The farmers complained that it was not possible to grow crops with a rainy season followed by a dry season that could last for more than half the year. But, the farmers adapted with different crops (that could tolerate the semi-arid land) and improved irrigation. The farmers slowly cultivated the land. Consequently turning the West into a vast food source. A source for not only this continent but for the world.
It would be interesting to find out more about how the farmers and immigrants faired in the West. I have heard that in some places only one out of three farmsteads lasted past the first winter. Why did so many fail? How did some farmers succeed and others fail? What crops did they find successful? What were the best types of animals to herd? What was the role of the federal government? Even today the federal government gives a large amount of attention to the farmer even though most farms in the West are industrial as opposed to family farms. Thus, this warrants more attention and it would be interesting to discover. In addition, I would imagine that there would be a plethora of primary documents in Washington on the farmers in the West.
