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Problems with the Plains. Lack of WaterNatural HazardsCropsFencingPloughing and SewingLack of Natural ResourcesExtremes of Temperature. Finished ??. Lack of Water. ProblemHardly Rained ? Harsh conditions for crops to grow. Irrigation was no use ? No local rivers or lakes.Wells no use as the
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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.