Why did immigrants build elaborate ranching and farming outposts in the deserts of Australia?
A)They had learned the necessary dry-farming techniques in Kansas.
B)There was no other land available after the American frontier officially closed in 1890.
C)They believed the claim of boosters of the American West that rain followed land cultivation.
D)They did not realize that this part of Australia was arid until it was too late to turn back.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Immigrants built elaborate ranching and farming outposts in the deserts of Australia because they were influenced by the popular but mistaken belief that "rain follows the plow," a theory that claimed rain could be induced by cultivating the land. This idea was a significant driver of agricultural expansion into arid regions in the American West and influenced similar efforts in Australia.

Why Did Immigrants Build Elaborate Ranching and Farming Outposts in the Deserts