The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-03-03

TILE BILLINGS e
much OF the seed was wasted and no
results a be reported. We are fully
convinced from the showing made
that alfalfa seed growing will be en-
inently successful and it is our inten-
ton to put in q large acreage next
year.
The Garden.
The truck garden was I'll that could
be asked; all kinds Of garden stun
did exceedingly well. We had all the
radishes. lettuce. onions, peas, beans,
carrots, parsnips, beets turnips, cab
bage and summer squash We could
use at headquarters all summer. We
put In only q small patch OF potatoes
but they made q good yield and fur
nished what was needed for immedi-
ate use during the summer and there
were several sacks to be dug the first
OF October. Everyone remarked upon
the fine quality Of our garden vegeta-
,bies and said they had never eaten
finer in any country. No one need go
hungry If he Will only bestir himself
and till his garden sufficiently.
The State Experiment Station.
A branch station has been establish
ed on the ranch Of John Schroeder 20
miles north OF Billings on the north
west side. Of the Hay Basin. The To-
cation is. ideal, being a north slope
and the ground is Of a nature adopted
to retaining moisture. The sod was
broken in March and put into a a
iety of crops. While only half acre
plats were planted, the yield, as re
ported to the Gazette by Mr.. Schroe-
der showed: Beardless barley, So
bushels; maccaroni wheat, 27h bush
els; a 16 bushels; rye % bushels;
potatoes and sugar beets both did well
and the alfalfa, put in on sod, made a
good stand and kept green all sum-
mer. $500 4
On the Billings bench, Henry Hall
ing had in 240 acres turkey red win
ter wheat that was not irrigated and
still made a fine showing. On account
Of pressure Of other work MI. Halling
did not get it cut in time and it shell
led badly but still made over 20 bush
els to the acre. Just east of Billings
Mr.. Hoe had in quite a variety of
crops that made satisfactory yields
without irrigation and many farmers
up and down the Yellowstone valley
report crops that have made profit
able yields without irrigation. From
the results obtained, few who have
looked into the matter now doubt that
Yellowstone county has sufficient
moisture to raise profitable crops
without irrigation.
Yields In Other Localities.
Reports Of record breaking yields
Of potatoes in the Yellowstone valley
are daily made to the chamber Of
commerce. The largest yields of po-
tatoes so far reported are on the
ranch Of Randolph Bros, where 600
bushels were harvested to an acre.
The Randolph ranch is situated I'VE
miles west Of Billings. It is the Z
ond year that 1t has been cultivated
by the Randolph Bros. The potatoes
they have raised this year were Ilant-
ed in May. They were not irrigated.
At first it was the intention to irri-
gate them, but an investigation of the
soil showed that water was not need
ed. Mr. Randolph brought a large
basket Of his potatoes into towa yes
terday. One in the number, weighed
81 pounds. Another weighed Az
pounds. Mr.. Randolph harvested 10
potatoes that weighed go pounds
Ex-senator Hobson reports abound.
ing prosperity for the Judith Basin.
He raised 40 bushels OF oats 70 the
acre on his bench land withou. irri.
cation. while winter wheat yielded.
from 40 to 81 bushels per acre.
The following summary taken from
the Lewistown Daily News further
c%orroborates the senator's statements:
]. N. Weldon. Lewiston, whea. 20
acres. crop. 800 bushels. yield 10 per
sore; oats 81 acres. crop. 6175. yield
per acre 63h. w. B. Peck, Stanford,
wheat - acres. 6O4 bushel crop, aver
age yield per acre. 81 bushels; oa,s 5
ceres. crop 1856. yield a per acre; bar.
ley. II acres. crop IA. yield 40; al.
saifa, Is acres 60 tons. two crops, aver
age per acre 3h tons: timothy. II
acres. "a tons. average 2 tons pc.
acre. Potatoes az acres. 10000
pounds. Joe Dunsmore, Utica, 10
acres oats. crop 500 bushels, average
80 bushels; rye. .4n bushels. av.
erage 26h bushels pa. acre.
Other reports are as follows: tie..
H. Day, Lewistown. oats Is acres.