Judith Gap journal., 1909-05-21
PRECIPITATION AND
DRY FARMING
Extracts From the Report Of the Com.
missioner Of Agriculture.


The following interesting statistics
concerning the Judith Gap country can
he found in the lth annual report of the
bureau of agriculture labor and indus
try recently issued:
There are certain Of the well-knOwn
grain producing sections Of Montana
where farming is carried on under
practically the same conditions which
prevail in humid states. This must
not be connected in any way with re-
cent or prospective development of so
called dry farming. \ brief study of the
records of precipitation in various dis.
tricts will show the distinction in meth.
ods very clearly. On the average. Mon
tana presents u spring and summer rea-
sonably moist. followed by later dry
occasions is very cold and deep snow.
The result is to give natural vegeta-
ton that grows rapidly. is generally
short. natures early and with wiry
root able to stand extreme drought and
cold. The wonderful production of
grass upon the ranges, no less than the
returnsj from dry farms, proves that
abundant crops can be grown upon large
areas Of Montana farming lands, de-
pending entirely upon it's conservation
in others. The old time farming with
out wateH and the new dry farming
systems are, however. entirely separate
and distinct. They vary not alone in
respect to the location occupied in the
state. but in method as well. The high
preci ipitation in certain sections Of the
state has for years enabled the farmers
to grow barley and other grains which
excelled any produced by irrigation.
1t is interesting to know that this ex-
ccssive rainfall is to be looked for on
the western slopes of mountains where
the wind blows over Il wide stretch of
valley to the west. These conditions
prtva0 on the western slope of the
Rocky Mountains in Flathead county.
where irrigation is the exception: on
the westerly slopes Of the Highwood,
the Belt and the Big Snowy Mountains
i'm Ferg,l. and Cascade counties, on the
western slopes of the Pryor and Big
Horn Mountains in Carbon county.
incidentally. these are also the noted
regions for fruit culture. 1t is of vast
Importance agriculturally to note that
during the growing months of April,
May. June and July, the rainfall is
nearly. if not quite equal to that in the
humid states.
The compiled records show the max.
imum of rainfall in Montana to Ike twen.
ty-four inches in the northwestern part
Of the state. From this it decreases to
twenty-five inches on the eastern boln-
dairy Of F1athead county. and to sixteen
inches on the eastern boundary of Teton
county. The spring and early summer
rainfall is about eight inches, which IN
not rs large proportion of the yearly
rainfall ~ in some other localities OF
the state. The system Of farming prac.
ticed here is practically identical with
that which prevails in eastern states.
Perhaps the most famous of all the
newt dry farming districts il the great
Judith Basin in Central Montana. Here
it il estimated that less than a million
and half acres will in time yield ~
bOuntiful crops Of winter wheat a. do
one hundred thousand acres now In cul-
tivation. Many elevators are being
erected to care for the vast increase,
three being located ut IRwistown. The
country is rapidly taking on the ap-
pearance Of an eastern farming center.
and il being settled with n rush. One
may ride for miles through well culti.
vated fields, the road fenced ON either
side. Crops are not confined to wheat,
but oats. rye harley and splendid alfalfa
are grown. Two new railroads afford
excellent transportation facilities. and
both are doing good work in bringing
! settlers to the land. The season Of 1907
was especially favorable and few If any
G.! the wheat farms yielded less than
thirty bushels an acre. l!ND8 was very
dry. there being no rain from June
to August Il. In spite of this the NV.
eragc Of wheat for the year will not
be less than twenty bushels. and the
total yield about two million bushels.
! These results do not come from slipshoa
| farming methods. hut come alone with
careful. intelligent cultivation and rigid
adherence to system. All roots do ex.
cecdingly we'll. one farmer reporting 200
bushels Of potatoes to the acre. whila
the averages for the Basin il not less
than $50 bushels. Oats yield from ~ to
~ bushels. averaging ~ pounds to the
b,shel. and declared by the American
Cereal company to he Of the highest
known quality for the manufacture OF
oatmeal. =
Berries and small fruits do well. and
some apples and plums are grown. al.
though the recent settlement of the
country has not given time for anything
extensive in this direction. There are
thirty-six steam plowa now at work in
the BASIN. and fully 5000 acres Of
virgin soil will be broken for next
years crops. and the continued addi.
tion Of settlers who are taking up these