The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-31
MEETING JUST CLOSED IN SWEET.
GRASS COUNTY.
MUCH GOOD ADVICE GIVEN
Professors Of the Experiment Station
at Bozeman Meet and Confer With
Farmers of Eastern Part Of
the State.
Especial to Inter Mountain.)

(Spocldl 10 1NCeT N1OuHCdlu.J
Big Timber, Dec. 31.-The first meet
ing to be held under the state board Of
the Farmers institute in Sweetgrass
county was held in Big Timber Monday
afternoon and evening. The meeting
was very successful, the attendance
being large at both the afternoon and
evening sessions. The live interest taken
in the meeting was shown by the numer-
Gus questions asked and the general dis
cussion by those present of the different
topics presented by the speakers.
The meeting was called to order by
w. j. Hannah at o'clock, who called
upon County Assessor Hathaway. Mr..
Hathaway, in a brief and concise paper,
g"ve the meeting some instructive and
,iteresting data relative to the numbers
a. assessed value of the horses, cattle,
sheep and swine in Sweetgrass county.
The chairman then called upon Pro-
fessor Shaw, the agrculturalist of the
experiment station, who talked upon
stock feeding in Montana. Professor
Shaw said the feeding of livestock, par
ticularly sheep and cattle, has become
business Of considera BILE Importance
and magnitude in many portions of Mon
tana, and this is now true of Sweet grass
county.
not possible for the experiment station
to give methods of feeding for particu-
lar localities. These methods must be
determined locally to some extent, and
station instructions used as a guide to
the direct feeding work. SWeetgrass
county is fortunate in being able to grow
alfalfa in great abundance, and this is
one of the greatest of fattening foods
The station investigations show that two
pounds of alfalfa, in the absence of other
food. will maintain each lamb per day,
but three pounds are necessary for a fae-
tening ration, and from four to four and
one-half pounds of alfalfa per head per
day for wethers and ewes. That under
the very best conditions eleven and one
half pounds of alfalfa will suffice to
maintain the animal and produce a pound
of gain. Results also show that a small
grain ration of not more than one-half
pound per head per day, fed with alfalfa.
Will give better finish for market than
the latter alone; also, that cheap grains
or screenings will give excellent results
for this purpose. Experiments also show
that constant access to water means an
additional gain of over one pound per
mead per month as compared with water
ing once day, other things being equal
DUO 0IaSS 0OeS w ell Here.
Attention is especially called to the
fact that under proper methods of culti-
walton and seeding, large areas of land
especially situated can be made to grow
remunerative crops of alfalfa without
irrigation. Many sections of Montana
are suited to the growth of blue grass.
and It Is destined to become an important
factor as a winter food and pasture
grass
During the afternoon session much dis
cussion was aroused. Messrs. Vesta!,
Clark, Franklin, VanCleve, Hall, Black,
Solberg, Rapstad, Bate, Hathaway and
many others took an active part and
many valuable and interesting facts were
obtained from personal experience OF
these representative farmers.
Following Professor Shaw's talk on
stock feeding. Mr.. Vestal gave some of
his views on the alfalfa question. He be-
lieves in irrigation for the second crop
shortly before cutting the first, and cuts
his first crop just as soon as the blossom
appears.
He also advocates feeding stock we'll
and believes that the best results are
obtained when the sheep are fed three
times per day. Mr.. Franklin who feeds
about zoo tons of wild hay, prefers two
WIS oA "Ao nay ~ three tons OF alIalfa,
but produces but twO-thirds of a ton of
wild hay where he can produce two tons
of alfalfa.
After this discussion the chairman
called upon Prof. Shaw who described
In an interesting manner the experi-
mental work the station was doing with
grains and grasses. showing briefly the
extent of the work and it's value to the
grain growers and stockmen Of the
state.
Director Fortier in introducing the
subject Of irrigation referred to the
abundant water supply and large areas
of fertile soil yet to be reclaimed in
sweetgrass county. He spoke Of the need
OF better methods IN dividing ths waters
- ssvsao sn.e@V - ~oAs> AAi g.