Methods of Farming

1. Methods of Farming By Emily Drew

2. Problems with the Plains Lack of Water Natural Hazards Crops Fencing Ploughing and Sewing Lack of Natural Resources Extremes of Temperature

3. Lack of Water Problem Hardly Rained � Harsh conditions for crops to grow. Irrigation was no use � No local rivers or lakes. Wells no use as they were expensive and unsuccessful. Why? Leads to total crop failure. Starvation Bankruptcy Solution Dry Farming Ploughing soil after rain/snow helped preserve moisture in the soil. Also leaves a thin layer of dust the helps preserve the crop below and keep it moist. Windmills Pumped water from below ground Worked day and night.

4. Natural Hazards Problem Summer � Easy for fires to start � Could devastate whole areas. Plagues of Grasshoppers swept through crop � 1871, 1874 and 1875 � destroying crop. Solution There was no solution to these problems, the homesteaders just had to cope with these factors.

5. Crops Problem Ordinary crops � Like Maize Corn � Didn�t grow well in the harsh conditions. Solution Turkey Red Wheat Russian introduced wheat that was well suited to the conditions and grew very well

6. Fencing Problem Lack of wood meant lack of fencing of crops and cattle. This made is easy for cattle to be stolen. Also crops could get destroyed by wandering cattle. This could cause the owner to lose money and food causing bankruptcy and starvation. Solution JOSEPH GLIDDEN 1874 BARBED WIRE Barbed wire is said to be the greatest invention of the 1800�s. It was cheap and effective.

7. Ploughing and Sowing Problem Hard Ground � Hard work to plough through. Early machinery from the east couldn�t cope with the hard soil. They often broke. This would be expensive to repair. Solution New machinery invented to cope with hard soil. Industrial revolution in the east sparked these developments. Examples of this is John Deere�s Sodbuster. Easier, more practical and cheaper to run � less repair bills.

8. Lack of Wood and Natural Resources Problem Arid desert like conditions � free of large trees and vegetation. This means lack of wood � lack of building materials and fuel. Made life very hard Solution Fuel � Cattle Chips (dried cattle dung). This burnt well and provided them with an adequate fuel for cooking. Built in sod houses made out of dried cattle dung and mud and other things found in the area. These made their houses strong and waterproof.

9. Extremes of Temperature Problem Summer Hot arid conditions. Lack of water and harsh winds dried out the land making it hard for crops to grow. Winter Very cold harsh conditions There was often frost, snow and rain that harmed and destroyed the crops Solution Sodbusters Dry Farming Russian Wheat

10. THE END Dun dun dun.