Appropriate Agricultural Techniques: The Information Problems in Settling in the North American Arid Plains, 1900-1925

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This research examines the information problems facing settlers on the arid agricultural frontier of the northern Great Plains from 1900-1925. It also estimates the extent and economic cost of abandonment of dry-land homesteads after 1916 in eastern Montana and Colorado and western North and South Dakota and Nebraska. The apparent widespread collapse of dry-land homesteads in the region is one of the few examples of frontier settlement failure in the U.S. experience. The agricultural frontier in this region was quite different from that which existed to the east where precipitation levels were higher. To adapt to new conditions, farmers experimented with a variety of techniques and crops. But they often had conflicting sources of information, and the land laws limited the farm sizes that were available. Further, there was little understanding of the climate. The questions of the choice of appropriate technology, crops, and farm size for an arid region that comprised the information problems facing settlers at the turn of the century in North America have not been systematically examined. The nature of the information available to settlers, how it changed over time, and how settlers responded, as well as the extent of homestead failure and the size of the economic costs involved are issues of importance for understanding American agricultural development.More broadly, the issue of appropriate agricultural technology addressed in this research also is relevant for issues in contemporary economic development. Increasingly, agricultural frontiers are shifting to remote areas where they confront migrants with conditions that are very different from their home region. Migrants are faced with information problems about farming techniques that are similar to those encountered by settlers on the North American frontier early in this century. In developing areas, such as the Brazilian Amazon, concerns have been raised as to whether migrants from southern Brazil have adequately adapted to the region. Farm failures and environmental destruction have been linked to inappropriate practices. How similar information problems were resolved earlier in this century, successfully and unsuccessfully, may provide insights into current migrations to agricultural frontiers.Until 1900, migrants to northern agricultural frontiers in the United States encountered similar levels of precipitation. Adequate rainfall allowed for familiar crops and farming practices and the formation of small farms as recognized by the Homestead Act's 160 acre allocation. Settlers could use established practices without serious modification. Migrants to the high plains, however, were the first to face much more arid conditions. At the time, there was dispute as to whether or not the climate would change with cultivation. Ultimately, successful adaptation required adoption of new agricultural techniques, different crops, and much larger farm sizes. But adaptation required an understanding of the climate of the region, the nature of appropriate dry-land farming practices, the identity of new crops to be planted, and changes in the federal land laws. Each of these requirements, however, involved an important information problem. And changing the land laws encountered political opposition.This research examines the information problems facing farmers and how they were addressed. The sources of information, including government agencies (experiment stations, extension service, and other USDA bureaus), railroads, land developers, and local and state governments, are to be analyzed to determine how they differed and how they changed over time. Practices that were helpful or hindered adaptation will be identified. The learning process will be followed. Records from experiment stations, the census bureau, state agriculture and banking departments will be used to identify the characteristics of farms that successfully adapted to arid conditions. The extent of homestead failures and the economic costs involved will be estimated. A decision model is used as a framework for analyzing the choices facing farmers on the arid frontier.