✗ The myth everyone repeats
Agricultural cultivation and plowing of soil cause increased rainfall in previously dry regions, with tilling and vegetation changes modifying local precipitation patterns favorably.
✓ What is actually true
The 'rain follows the plough' hypothesis, popular in 19th-century American expansion, was contradicted by actual precipitation records. Detailed climate analysis showed no consistent increase in rainfall following agricultural settlement of the Great Plains and western regions. While land use can affect local weather through albedo and evapotranspiration changes, these effects are small and often create drier, not wetter, conditions. The myth contributed to unsustainable farming in marginal lands.
Reception
The receipts 2 sources