Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-04-08
PROPER CROPS TOPLANT
ON DRY LAND FARM
CONTINUED from first paYe.)

CONTINUED from first paxe)
age yield of ll76 bushels of flax ner
acre ha, been harvested during the past
five Years.
Miscellaneous Crops.
Potatoes: ENcrlen. crops of potatoe,
may he produced on dry lands. and the
quality is generally regarded far s,lpe-
ri"r to that of irrigated potatoes. The
Experiment station has produced up to
li0.7 bushels per acre and six crops av-
eraying l23.S7 bushels. One Montana
grower reported 200 bushels per acre on
- acres in 1909
Potatoes should he planted after MAY
|. The land should be thoroughly pul-
verified. beginning as early as the sea-
son will permit in February if possible.
Plant in rows 81 to - inches apart. and
dropping pieces Of seed. cut to two or
three eyes. about Is inches apart in the
rows. Seed should be put at least four
inches deep in the ground. Harrow the
surface once Il week until the sprouts
are two or three inches high. Then cul
tivatc each week within the rows with
Il spike tooth level cultivatUr. Do not
ridge the potatoes more than enough to
keep the tubcr, from >unburn. as ridges
waste moisture. Use the hoe to stir the
soil in the rows before it crustS Kill
the bugs with Paris green before they
become too numerous
Roots such as nnanyel>. sugar beet>
and rutaba9as. require ii deep. mellow
soil plowed the previous season. Disc as
early Il, possible in the spring Sow the
seeds in the moist earth one to two
inches deep. in drills. about 20 inchr,
apart. Keep the surface stirred and
level.
Beans are i Very promising dry land
crop They are light users If moisture
hardy. admit intertillayc. and have IL
high market value. Our climate present 5
he best possible condition, for curing
il bright product. Beans also enricl, The
land. and increase the Weld of sub>c-
qurnt grain crops.
Garden vegetables are very succrS>ful
~ grown. provided the land ms been
well TILED the preceding seas m. and thc
earth mulch is maintained by early and
frequent cultivation durin. The season in
which the vegetables are grown. Rad
i>hc>. lettuce. par>np>. bret>. onions.
peas. beans. sweet corn. tomatoes. GU
ulmbers and melons have been very sue
ce>>iulN produced where proper cultiva-
ton has been given and the climatic con
dit ions were favorable.
Fodder Crops.
Corn j. y dry farm crop nf great prom
Use. At attitudes below 1000 feet thc
seed may be maturcd. while fodder 10
HE extent of three or four tens per acre
may be grown almost anywhere in Mon
tana. Select early ripcnin. dent varie
ties. T. =. the Early Minnesota and film,
rorn> may be hes, for higher attitudes
Work the land as early IL, possible. with
the disc harrow tarl week or two.
Plant from the first to the twentict Ii
of May. in ROWS three and one half feet
apart each way. u>in. four or five kcr-
nrls IN each hill. Harrow within five
days after planting. and then defer fur
Their cultivation until the corn plants
can be plainly seen. Cultivate every
week or two with il surface horse cult
vator. alternating lengthwavs with cross
ways. | So the hand hoe to stir the earth
around the corn stalks as soon as the
summer rains cease. II these instructions
are followed. from 30 to 80 bushels of
corn may be expected. and the land put
in the best possible shape for subsequent
crops.
Peas have been one of the very hest
dry land crops. They grow prof,,sely
and yield heavily. They should he sown
as early in the spring as possible. and
the seed put in deeply -four or five
inrhe>). either broadcast or in rows far
enough apart to permit horse cultiva-
ton. Harrow once or twice after SOW
in" before the sprouts appear. and aft
erwarls cultivate bet wecn rows until
the vines cover the ground. Peas may be
harvested for seed nr feed on the land
by hogs. They enrich the land and pro-
vide valuable forage for stock.
tl"ver> are not generally successful on
dry lands. Ordinarily. clover requires
liberal water supplies. and does not
thrive where the water is scarce.
Alfalfa gives promise Of becoming tht
best forage crop for the dry land farm
1t has made IA stand and produced ii sat
isfactary crop on each one nf the lr.
dem ms, ration farms of the Experiment
station. ana la. even succeeded wheI
>"wn on newly broken sod where tn,
conditions were to" poor /" Justify an!
expectation Of Il crop.
1t is not reasonable to cNprr, the ton
mage on dry lands that II is possible t,
obtain with irrigation. hut one or tw,
cuttings. amounting to from one to TIVE
and il half tons per acre. are ca>il,
produced. which is far better than tn,
present forage "i the land. and aln,,,
equal t" the average hay crop q, Thu
country.
Alfalfa is the richest forage ior al
Glasses "t stock. 1t increases soil fer
,iliy and t,e yield of subsequent crops
Ii roots deeply. often finding waite
deep in the soil when the surface is dry
and is very persistent, hardy and lan
lived.
While alfalfa some; lines succeed, ~
newly broken sod land. i, is advisable L
SOW il ON old land where the sod
thoroughly rotted. and moisture has bee
saved by summer ,illagc the season be
fore sowing.
Always SOW in the spring in Mon
tana. Begin Il i'll the seed in Fcbr,l
ar! or March. as soon as the ground "a
he worked, first using the disc, then ii,