The average date of the latest killing frost in the spring is May 16, and of the first in the fall, September 21, giving a normal growing season of 128 days. However, frosts frequently occur as late as June and as early as August. The earliest recorded date of killing frost in the fall is August 25, and the latest in the spring, June 5. The grazing season lasts ordinarily from the middle of May to the 1st of November, while some of the grasses cure into hay in a state of nature and furnish some sustenance for stock throughout the winter.

Winds of high velocity are common both in the winter and summer.

The climate in this region is the principal controlling factor in agricultural development. It restricts in various ways the variety of crops grown and has a decided influence on the methods of farming. On account of the small amount of rainfall only drought-resisting and hardy varieties of crops can be grown profitably on the dry land. The growing season is short.

Agriculture After several disastrous dry years in the early nineties farming was almost completely abandoned in favor of ranching. Stockraising continued the dominant industry until about 1905, when a federal law was enacted under which the public land could be homesteaded in tracts of 640 acres, and the lands rapidly passed into private ownership. This had the effect of breaking up the large cattle ranches and giving an impetus to farming. Many of the homesteaders, however, practiced farming for only a short time, and after acquiring ownership of the land sold their holdings to land speculators. On