Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-12-03
HOW TO SECURE A HOME IN
THE TREASURE STATE
Continued from first page)


spring to move onto his claim, too
often the summer is well along before
he has gotten up his buildings, the
dry weather sets in before he fairly
gets started breaking, and the result
is he loses a whole year.
The settler who succeeds best in
Montana is the one WHO comes for =
home. The man who has been rent
ing a small farm in the central corn
belt and bucking against unt0ward
conditions Of cllangeable climate and
high rents is the one to appreciate
the favorable elements here. No
where else will lie find an opportnn-
ity to acquire home Of his own ut
such moderate outlay and amid
such wholesome surroundings. The
father Of large family who wants to-
increase his acreage in order to give
the boys a chance also makes 4 good
settler in this country. Of course
others can make it win if they have
the pluck and are willing to stick to-
it but it is no simple matter to hew
out a home in a new country. The
conditions now, however, are much
easier than they were IL the days Of
our fathers. Success may he attain
ed sooner if the new settler can bring
out with him enough dairy stock,
hogs and poultry for small begin
ming, also corn enough to run him
through the first winter and spring.
His horses would better lie purchased
where lie locates. Horses brought
from the middle states do not do well
the first season and will not stand up
to the spring work as do horses that
are already acclimated.
AS live stock is a necessary adjunct
to the highest success in farming in
the semi-arid belt, a location should
be made adjacent to as much free
range as possible. Naturally this
will take the settler into the more
broken sections of the country. where
he can find some small stream.
Small diversion dams may be put in
and flood waters turned out OH small
bottoms for orchard and garden, thus
insuring comfortable home life, as
plenty of domestic and stock water is
absolutely essential to success.
Let us suppose then that the new
settler has moved. onto his claim in
November, has gotten his buildings
we'll out of the way and is ready to
start in breaking by the middle of
March, or by the first of April at the
latest. His horses should have been
grained all winter, and thus be in
good shape for good springs work.
He should have at least four good
l,4W-pound horses to pull 14-inch
sulky plow, and five would be better;
=, he would thus have an extra horse to
change Oft with and run his seeder.
He should plow shallow, say l-2 to
! ; inches, if his sod is tough, and
should roll each half days breaking
before leaving the field, so as to Sc
cure sod mulch and conserve all the
moisture that may fall during the
spring and summer. He should count
on getting 80 days breaking during
April, May and June, besides doing
the other necessary work. Ii lie
averages l-2 acres per day and at
tends to the other work that must be
done to put in crop he will do we'll.
This should give him $50 acres brok en-
up and leave him 10 acres wild pas
ture, which will be all that he will
need if he follows "sOiling methods -
of handling his livestock. The plan
AS here outlined pres,ppOrts that the
settler has brought 10 grade Jersey
heifers bred to calves in March, and
10 Duroc Jersey gifts, bred to pigs in
April, out with him in his car.
In the first place, on the first break.
ing artichokes should be dropped in
every second furrow close up to the
free edge of the sod. Two burrows
should then be plowed and another
row of tubers planted. The rows
Wollu tueIl De "a Inches apart, WHICH
would give them plenty Oh room
The sod should be rolled SO as IL
make Il perfect sod mulch. and thu
pulveriZer run over it once, which il
all the attention the crop will need
as there will be no weeds the first
season. At least, five acres of thu
very first blowing should be put into
artichokes and the next 10 acre,
should be put into potatoes. Under
suitable conditions the field will ru,
from ~ to $50 per acre.
The next crop to put in is Canadian
peas. For these the sod should b,
single discel. Twenty-Five acres %
peas SuWu broadcast and disk Ell il