Why were late-nineteenth-century farms on the Great Plains much larger than eastern farms?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dry conditions of the Great Plains required larger farms to support a family than the smaller farms of the eastern United States. Dry farming is a method of cultivating crops in areas with low rainfall by trapping the limited moisture in the soil. This required homesteaders to farm about 300 acres of land to support their families, which is much larger than the average eastern farm.

Why Were Late-Nineteenth-Century Farms on the Great Plains Much Larger