Fergus County Democrat., 1907-04-23
WORK ON DRY
LAND. FARMING
Profs. Linheld and Atkinson VIII Is
sue Bulletin Of Interest to Fergus
County.
RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS
Some of the Points to Be First Con-
sidered in Ranching of Unirrigat-
ed Lands.

Bozeman, April l6.-The next bull
letin to appear from the United Stat
es experiment station will te on the
subject of dry farming, and will be
the joint work of Prof. F. B. Linheld,
the director of the station, and Prof
Alfred Atkinson, the agronomist.
Professor Lin6eld begins by de-
failing the utility of dry farming for
this state. He quotes figures to show
that there are probably from l2,OOO,-
600 to 100000 acres in Montana
which, from conditions and quality Of
soil, could probably be farmed, but
which can never, under any circum.
stances, be brought under irrigation.
The question is whether these cannot
be farmed by special methods, with
only the natural precipitation. Pro-
fessor Linfeld discusses the matter
of the distribution of rainfall, both by
areas and seasons, and decides that
there are many areas available in
Montana where there are Ia inches
and more of annual rainfall, with at
least seven inches in the months OF
April, May, June and July. In such
places, he figures, there should be no
trouble in securing good results. Mon
tana has more regular climate, he
notes, than some Of its neighbors, and
he believes that the natural vegetation
is more luxurious on our dry areas
than in the mountain states just south
and west of US.
Professor Linfeld states that the
greatest number of experiments in
these directions has been made in
Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. Utah
has made beginning. Some expert
menting in this line has been going on
in Montana for several years, but last
year was the first when the work was
organized enough to give positive re-
suits. That year the work was car
ried on with the funds furnished by
the Northern Pacific and the Great
Northern railways and the state of
Montana, to the total amount of S.
500.
The general results of the work, as
settled by the experiments of investi-
gators elsewhere and tested by the
experience in this state last year, are
set forth by Professor Atkinson, who
had the immediate direction of the
work. Professor Atkinson defines dry
farming as the raising of crops where
the annual precipitation is less than
l8 inches. The average he computes
for the dry areas of Montana is less
than this. probably about Is inches
This would be enough to mature 80
bushels of wheat to the acre if it were
all available. It is not, but under
certain cirmustances crops as large
as this have been raised.
Professor Atkinson summarizes his
results as follows:
The formation of a deep seed bed
to act as moisture reservoir.
Careful packing of the soil to estab-
lish the packing of soil particles and
assist in the rise of the moisture from
the lower layers.
Constant surface cultivation of the
soil, when possible, to prevent the es-
cape of the moisture.
Summer following each alternate
year, and by summer cultivation stor-
ing the moisture for the succeeding
crop.
Growing hardy strains of the differ
ent crops, so that the largest percent
age of the moisture will be utilized.
Growing fall and early ripening
strains of spring grain in order that
the growth may be attained during
the growing months, April, May, June
and July.
This seeding so that the moisture
may not be wasted in producing num-
erous stems, and none to be present
to ripen the grain..
Growing intertiled crops, like corn
and potatoes, as the possible constant
cultivation retains the moisture fo,
the growth.
Growing some nitro-gathering crop
occasionally to keep supply of this
element in the soil.
What is it that tastes as pleasant as
manIe Suoap ard . o,,;~t1,, .ai;e,,ae