Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-06-05
The Corn for Montana.

The Corn for Montana,
Prof. Atkinson, a member of the
Montana Agriculture College at Boze-
man, is about to begin some important
work in the Yellowstone valley in the
way of experimenting in the propaga-
ton and maturing of corn
The professor has just returned from
trip to the experimental stations
farm in the vicinity of Broadview, near
the ranch of Doctor Sudduth. This
farm will be one of several that will
be established throughout the state.
along the lines of the Great Northern
and Northern Pacific railways, each
OF these companies having contributed
sum Of money toward maintaining
them. Dry land farming experiments
Will be conducted beginning with the
present year and the land that is to be
tried in this county is now ready for
planting, says the Billings Gazette.
The professor was requested to give
the readers of this paper his views on
the future if corn cultivation in this
state and what methods would be
adopted in the experiments he pro-
poses to conduct in the Yellowstone
valley. He very readily complied with
the request and following is his state
ment of the course to be pursued:
"A glance at the production zones
of the United States reveals the fact
that corn, high grade feeding corn,
may be grown in many parts of Mon.
tana. This being the case in some
areas there is no reason why practl-
cally all sections Of the state may not
have the benefits of corn production.
ION the basis of these possibilities
the Montana experiment station at
Bozeman has arranged with a number
Of Yellowstone farmers, I. D. O'Don-
nell, W. B. George and some others,
to start some work along the line of
acclimating some of the high grade
corn belt strains to the conditions here
The Yellowstone valley furnishes con-
ditions very similar to those in Sec
tons of Iowa and Illinois and the ex-
pertinent station is confident in the
hope that high bred varieties of corn
will be maturing perfectly in this sec.
ton in very few years.
There are two lines along which
corn improvement may be conducted
These are, to improve the varieties al
ready growing by process of breed
ing and selection, or to procure vari-
cites already possessing the desired
excellence and acclimate them to the
new area. The latter method is the
one that is to be followed in this work
in the Yellowstone valley. as similar
work in other localities has demon
strated this to be the quicker and sur
err method.
"The corn to be used as the foun-
dation stock has been procured from
the very best breeders in northern
Iowa. This has been shipped in the
ear, and the work will be conducted
by planting under single ear system.
AS individual difference exists as to
the ability of different ears to fit them
selves to the new condition, only the
product from those ears which make
the best showing the first season will
be used for the second seasons plant
ing. The plan will be followed
throughout the entire years during
which the work is followed, so that a
definite performance record of every
ear grown will be on hand. As soon
as strain of corn is developed that
natures perfectly it can then be read
lily increased and the seed disseminate
ed.
vantages that will result if corn is in
troduced and successfully grown in this
state. In reply to this would call
attention to but two of the many valu.
able features of the corn crop. The
first is it's value in the rotation. Corn
being an inter-tilled crop, affords an
excellent opportunity for thoroughly
cultivating the land and Kidding it of
many weeds and other pests. The Sec
ond, and by far the most important
reason is that it is an enormous fat
producer, much higher than the other
cereals. when the entire crop is con.
sidered, and is of such a nature as to
fit in most admirably with the estab.
lished feeding conditions here. 1t is
good fat and energy producing feed
which taken with the alfalfa which is
: high in the muscle forming elements;
makes an almost ideal ration for fat
tening and finishing"
Siftinu Alien Arrivals.