The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-10
HEAR
". II. CAMPBELL
VISITORS FROM ALL PARTS OF
TWO COUNTIES in CITY.
LUNCHEON A SUCCESS
Hundreds Partake Of Hospitality Of
Huse.Yates company-Brlnes Mes
sage TO Man Above and Below the
Ditch-Explalns Methods.

~
Ditch-Explalns Methods.
From Thursdays Daily.
With hundreds Of farmers from all
parts Of Yellowstone and Carbon coun-
ties as his auditors, H. w. Campbell,
the noted apostle Of soil culture and
exponent Of practica farming methods,
delivered a lecture yesterday after
noon on "soil Culture and Moisture
Conservation at the Huse-Yates com.
pany's store in this city.
Late in the forenoon people began
to assemble at the company's store
and this crowd was augmented BY
those who came in on the trains from
the east and west and the special train
which the Northern Pacific ran from
Carbon county points.
At noon the Huse-Yates company
served what was scheduled to be "a
luncheon, but what was really an elab-
crate family dinner. For two hours
visitors and townspeople alike par
took Of the company's hospitality by
eating the delicious edibles served
them by the Ladies' Aid society Of the
Congregational church. It is estimat.
ed that between 600 and 800 people
were served. K
Seats All Filled.
At $3.50 the lecture started and at
that time every available seat in the
implement company's warehouse was
filled and many were standing. Dur.
ing the course OF the lecture every
one present gave their undivided at
tention to the speaker, appearing al
most eager to hear his next words.
The lecture vas in the nature Of a
discussion, the speaker answering
questions propounded to him by those
to whom some point was not clear.
Mr.. Campbell was introduced by,
DR.. w. x. Sudduth of Broadwiew, who
has not only demonstrated the practi-
cability of Mr.. Campbell's methods Of
farming, but has achieved great things
in this line.
Mr.. Campbell's lecture was q mes.
sage to the man below the ditch as
well as to his more or less unfortu-
nate neighbor above. He pleaded
earnestly to the farmers to get all
out of the ground that nature offers
and told them his method Of doing
this, illustrating by charts. in fact he
gave his auditors something to think
about and as a result, much Of his
methods will undoubtedly be practiced
in this section.
Purposes Of Farmer.
Mr.. Campbell spoke in part as fol-
lows: (
The purpose Of the farmer is to get
the most out of the soil and to raise
the largest crops possible on his land.
"a good many things enter into the
science Of agriculture-seeds, plants,
varieties, feeding, stock raising, dairy
ing and marketing-but at the founda-
ton OF all agriculture is the cultiva-
ton Of the soil so as to get from it in.
some form all that 1t is capable OF.
Nothing can be done without.an intelli-
gent understanding Of the soil. of the
elements Of the soil, Of the climate and
It's effect, and Of the processes OF cul-
tivation and physical treatment Of the.
soil under varying conditions.
The chief problem In relation to
farming in the western country is in
relation to soil fertility as affected by
moisture.
Every farmer breads the drouth. It
is the experience Of everyone, no mat
ter where he lives, that at some per-
iod Of almost very year the growing
crops suffer from lack Of water, and
this danger increases as we approach
the line which marks the desert areas.
In such regions the farmers must
study how to secure best crops even
with small rainfall. If the growing
crops can be kept from harm during
the drouthy periods the very best crops
are possible on the dry lands and in
dry seasons. "A certain amount of
water is necessary. Everyone knows
that much Of the water which falls is
wasted. How to prevent this waste
Is the greatest problem before the
western farmer. In proportion as he
is successful in SO doing he has sue.
cess in his farm operations.
Conditions Different.
Conditions are different in the semi
arid regions from those in the strictly
humid regions.
I'm that great region which com
prises the western two-fifths of the
United States, and similar regions else
where, the precipitation sof water IT,
reduced to the point that large areas
may properly be regarded as desert,
though in some valleys and near some
ranges the<rainfall is abund-
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