Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-09-23
THINKS JUDITH
BASIN A WONDER

Anaconda Standards: Dan 4. Nor
rison of Whitehall spent yesterday in
Butte, having Just returned from a
trip through Northern Montana,
spending considerable part of lis
time in the Judith Basin section. ~
had heard SO many stories of the pro-
ductiveness of the judith basin that
expected considerable in the way of
grain yield and all other crops as
WE'LL" he told Standard reporter
yesterday, "but was not prepared
to see even an average crop this year
on account of the many disadvantages
which have marked the season. In
this was pleasingly disappointed.
Threshing is on in full blast all over
the basin ard l watched the work on
some of the ranches. saw the grain
measured as it came from the ma
chine and there are hundreds of acres
which averaged from 35 to 10 bushels
of winter wheat to the acre. And
this in year when every one was
protesting about the crop being
light. Truly, the farmers of the
Judith basin have no complaint COM
ing: they have as good crops this
year as some of the older farming
sections have during an extra good
year and the many fasteners who
choose to come west and make their
homes in the Judith surely made no
mistake when they located there.
"Throughout all Of the basin you
can see patches Ofgreen adjoining the
fields where the yellow stubble pro-
claims that 4 crop has been harvested.
These patches of green are winter
wheat which was sOWn last month
and which is now high enough to
make 4 showing against the land
scape. The recent rains which have
been general throughout the greater
part of Montana, have been of untold
value to the farmers of that section,
for they furnished the moisture that
the winter wheat was needing. AS it
is, the wheat will have a growth suf-
ficient to insure Il good crop next year
by the time the snow ia lis deep enough
to prevent further growth and at the
same time protect the grain until
spring unlOckS the door Of the grow
ing season another year Winter wheat
has the advantage of the wheat sown
in the spring, for it is already firmly
rooted in the ground and all it has to
do during the growing season is to
grow. 1t is just like the bunch grass
when the sun comes out it Is ready to
grow and 1t never quits until it ma
lures into crop. The roots are well
set during the fall before and the win
ter moisture is conserved to large
extent. Besides, the crop is ready for
the harvester long before spring-sown
wheat has ripened and in this manner
danger from early frosts is avoided
and This fact was brought home very
clearly to farmers this year, for frost
occurred early in August at date
which is almost record for early
freezing.
"Thp Judith basin is in that section
of Montana where the big grass used
to grow before it ever was thought of
as an agricultural proposition. Wher-
ever the big grass grows. then you
can be assured that big grain and
other crops will grow. There is al.
ways the soil there TO back it up. The
same condition prevails where there
is big sagebrush: but, as Il general
rule. You will find that the sagebrush
land requires more water than does
the grass land. Wherever you find II
| piece of land that grows neither grass
nor sagebrush leave it alone. for
where Dame Nature cannot grow any
thing il is Il sure thing that man can
not, even if he has all sorts of scien-
titc knowledge at his command
1.-The land especially adapted to
winter wheat raising is land where
the snow falls deepand remains there.
\ windswept valley is undoubtedly
good for grazing, but Il valley where
the snow is undisturbe,l is better for
winter wheat. The deep snow forms
Il blanket which protects the young
grain from being frozen out and the
melting snow gives it an impetus in
the early spring, which is better than
irrigation. Winter wheat is going to
be the crop OF the dry land farmers
OF Montana wherever the snow falls
and lies undisturbed and wherever
the big grass grows. The Judith ba-
sin and other sections of northern
Montana are surely going to become
important factors in the production
of the bread supply of the world.
Time was when Fergus county pro-