Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-12-09
LECTURED TO
A BIG CROWD
Farmers Institute, Although a Day
Late, Was Held and Well Attend
ed Friday Evening.
THREE INTERESTING LECTURES
Professors LinfieId, Elrod and Fisher
Do the Work-views OF West.
ern Mountains.

Every seat in the assembly room
OF The public school building was oc-
cupiCd and some present were com.
PEELED to remain standing Friday ev.
ening upon the occasion of the first
meeting of the farmers institute in
I.cwistown. Such a crowd was hard.
ly expected, as. owing to unavoidable
circumstances, the men who are do
ing the institute work had twice dis.
appointed the people of this city and
vicinity. They were hrst advertised
to be in Lewistown on the 18th of last
month, but the big storm which pre-.
vailed at that time prevented the gen.
tlemen from getting in here. Secre-
tary Linfield, OF the institute board,
then made d date for last Thursday.
Several ranchers were in town that
day for the purpose OF attending but
the train was stopped for almost two
days by a big snow drift and the lee.
turers did not arrive until early Fri.
day morning. In the party were
were Prof. F. b. Linfeld, of the Boze-
mar experiment station; Prof. X. w.
Fisher, of the State Agricultural col.
lege at Bozeman. and Prof. j. NJ. FL.
rod, teacher OF biology in the state
university. Being here. they decided
to make the best of the situation and
to that end a meeting was arranged
for the afternoon at the court room.
Because of the public failure to learn
OF the g%entlemen's arrival. there was
but a very small attendance. IL was
decided to hold the evening session
in the assembly room of the public
school building.
Prof. Silloway, who presided, first
introduced Prof. Fisher, who spoke
for thirty minutes on Apple Culture
in Montana. He showed himself thor
oughly conversant with his subject
and gave many things of the utmost
practical benefit TO those who are al.
ready engaged in the raising of apples
or who contemplate planting an orch
ard. After introducing the subject
with a comparison OF the receipts
from an acre of a successful orchard
and an acre of any other farm pro.
duct, showing that ii properly hand
led an orchard can be made to yield
fruit to the value of 500 per, acre, the
speaker gave, in a brief manner. some
of the practical details of the indus
try. The first thing to be considered,
he said. is the site. Contrary to the
general belief, a north or northwest
slope Is the most desirable. On the
northern slope the snow remains the
longest and the tree is in that man.
ner protected. The disadvantages of
the southern slope are that the warm
spring sun brings out the buds too
soon. subjecting them to the risk of
freezing; it also starts the sap to
flowing and in case of a sudden
freeze this sap is frozen. the bark
of the tree bursts and the tree is
killed.
The very important questions of ir.
rigation and cultiyatiC., were dwelt
upon to some length by the professor.
Some people hold erroneous ideas as
to the amount of irrigation necessary.
If the trees are sufficiently cultivated
the necessity of irrigation is l%essened.
BY cultivating the trees twice a
month. they can be successfully
grown in Montana without any irri-
cation at all. Care should be exercis.
ed so as not to cultivate or irrigate
the trees too late in the season. as
II keeps the trees growing too long
and increases the danger from freez-
ing.
After speaking for q few moments
on the subjects of pests so destructive
to the trees of Montana, Mr.. Fisher
turned his attention to the selection
of trees for a new orchard. In this,
he said. the experience of others
should guide m In different parts
of the state extensive experiments
with nearly one hundred varieties of
trees have been made and II is now
almost definitely determined which
trees will and which will not be sue.
t'ooiui uppi6 BloNtlo III luc niOu-
tana climate. He recommended the
yellow transparent, Duchess and the
Wealthy as the best adapted for this
state.
Prof. Linfeld was introduced as the
next speaker and spent his thirty
minutes in a discussion of general
farming. He emphasized the impor.
lance Of the ranching industry in
Montana and made the prediction that
within ten years, or twenty at the
very outside. the great mining bust.
ness of the state would have to take
A second place to the farming bust
ness. The hopes OF the state for a
industry and from the extensive OBJ
industry and fro mthe extensive oh.
~servations of the speaker these hopes
Will be more than realized. There is
land In the Gallatin valley which com.
mands a price of 800 per acre, and
the professor thought there is a great
deal of land in Fergus county which
will. n day, be Just as valuable. The
speaker painted a glowing picture of
the independence of the farmer and
gave a few Of the reasons why a boz
should not quit the ranch for the city.
This state, he said. Is confronted by
two great problems. There are now