Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-12-03
res SllOAkt he seeded to alfaEfa

gool stand Of alfalfa ean be gOktoau
OIL sod just as easy as u stand Of flax.
The seed bed for this alfalfa sho.ald
be thoroughly prepared by diaking
and narrowing, and the seed drilled
in and narrowed at once, after whiei,
it must not I've tnAerfered with by l,av
rowing, as the plant is very tender
and is easily broken of. 1t will not
furnish much forage the first year..
and hogs, cattle aaad horses mast be
Kept off it, The chickens WILL. ha.v-
ever, enjoy it and repay in abundant
eggs The second season. it will
Furnish soil crop for COINS, and hogs;
during the Summer and hay for
winter LII this eoalnR0tion want to,
say that the Canadian peas will fur
nish all the sell crop needed the first
year. The land that has been ia.
roots and peas can be bac}cset In. the
fall and farmed the second year the
same as if it had been summer fall
lowed. This would give nearly 90
acres the second season for barley
and nlaearOni wheat. The 30 acres Of
barley and macaroli wheat land,
which should be fall plowed,, can he
used for roots, peas and tubers the
second season. by growing, SUCCESS.
sion Of intertilled crops the land call
be cropped every year, or at Least
three crops ont Of four years can. be
grown successfully. After the first
year, however, all root crops. peas
and beans should he drilled in roAws,,
so they can he titled.
by following out a system as above
outlined the new settler can make
good the very first year, and by the
third year he will he ahead and ready
to buy out his Less pnovident neigh
Dor, who is depending Oh grain crops
alone.
Let us see what returns should I've
reasonably expected from 100 acres
First, as to the amount Of forage to
be raised the first year:
Twenty-Five acres Of Canadian peas
cut for hay would yield five toms per
acre, making rs toms, worth 1t the
lowest - q ton, OF $685.. Twenty-Five
acres Of peas left to ripen, would
yield seed worth s375, and some hay.
Five acres Of soy beans wonld yield
seed worth 1928. Five acres Of arti-
ctokes would yield, at low estimate,
- bushels, and 10 acres of potatoes
would yield similar amount. The
Is acres of tubers then would give
1000 bushels, worth 50 cents bnShel,
or $500.
Five tons to the acre would be low
yield for the root crops, and as 25
acres were to be put in, and they are
worth 81 per ton for feeding livestock,
the roots alone would give, say. s625.
The barley would yield rs bushels
on sod, maxi ing 625 bushels, worth IS
cents a bushel, or 5000; and the 10
acres of macaroni wheat would yield
$50 bushels. at 90 cents per bushel,
or $3.50. The alfalfa would not yield
any cash returns the first year.
In estimating the cost of putting in,
harvesting and marketing the crop,
the time of two men and two teams.
together with their keep, is charged
against the crop. If the farmer does
all his own work, more than half of
their amount can be added to the net
income for the year for labor perform
ed for himself and family. No more
money is required to carry out the
plan as above outlined than would be
needed to stock and run a 18O-acre
farm in Iowa, Illinois or Wisconsin,
| and the net returns should be greater
from the very first year than they
would be on rented farm in the corn
belt.