John Andreas Widtsoe demonstrates an immense knowledge of soil and farming conditions; much of the advice in this classic manual remains useful and relevant to this day. An excellent collection of knowledge is united in this guidebook, which commences by setting out the concept and core principles of dry farming. Much of the Earth is covered by land which receives only modest rainfall each year; coupled with a lack of an underground water source and/or water rights, many landowners found themselves having to grow crops with dry farming methods. Widtsoe was one such farmer, and his knowledge of the land's properties would prove decisive in his success. The properties and composition of the soil are crucial in deciding what crops to grow, making maximum use of limited water resources in an unirrigated plot by encouraging the soil's water retention, and sowing seeds with methods to maximize germination are all important aspects of running a dry farm.

Written by John Andreas Widtsoe, noted author, scientist, and an academic, this work is the first attempt to gather and arrange the known facts of science in their link to the production of plants, without irrigation, in areas with very little rainfall. The needs of genuine farmers have been kept in mind, those farmers who must first understand all the regulations, before their procedures can be completely satisfactory. It is hoped that the enlarging group of dry-farm investigators will also be helped by this representation of the principles of dry-farming. Widtsoe states in the preface. "The subject is now growing so rapidly that there will soon be room for two classes of treatment: one for the farmer, and one for the technical student." This book was written with help from large libraries, and the material was drawn from the available sources of that time. Widtsoe became the director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at Utah State Agricultural College in 1900.