Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-08-12


that has been done in, two places i'll
Montana the past year. One OF those
places is this very station where we
are today. Director Linheld told you
that the rainfall was only about SIN
and six-tenths inches from the first
OF January to the present time. The
rainfall that grew those crops that
are out in that field growing there to-
day has only been a little more than
five inches. And yet am safe III say
ing that there are crops growing to-
day and standing on the ground at
the present time that will yield not
less than thirty bushels Of grain per
acre. The other place that refer to
has been referred to already by Di-
rector Lintield, and that is the farm
that is being conducted by the Great
Northern Railroad at Chester We
ran an cxcursion-oY the Great Nor
Monday. People were picked up all
the way from Glasgow to Chester,
and they were taken to that farm to
see the crops that were growing
there When we were walking through
the fields and looking at the crops on
that farm, some OF the farmers said
to me: Nov, what have you done
to that land to make these crops
; grow?' Why. the answer was simple.
simply told them that we had cul-
tivatcd the land in something like a
proper way. and that Nature had done
the rest Well now then, ladies and
gentlemen, I want to rivet your atten-
ton upon this fact: That those crops
were grown on rainfall Of three and
! half inches from the first day Of
March until the present time-a rain
! fall Of three and half inches. Do
not lose sight Of that fact. I want to
say to you. Mr.. Chairman, and / want
to say to the respected governor OF
this state who is here today. that they
] must not be surprised if come down
! to Helena when the legislature meets.
4 and ask, at least, for leather medal
! from the legislature of Montana for
I growing the largest crop that has ever
| been grown in Montana on the
/ smallest amount of rainfall. Gap
4 plause.)
Gov. Norris: We will be with YOU
| professor.
t Prof Shaw: Now, allow me to
! press that matter home hope some
Of those men are present here in this
assembly who have said that Mon
tana could not be farmed.-that the
bench!ands Of Montana could not be
i successfully farmed. When. they said
to me: Gust wait until dry season
comes and you will see where you
are; you will see what will become
| Of your preachings' Well, my
friends. and Mr. Chairman. if we have
not got the dry season now. for the
life Of me I don't know what a dry
season means. daughter and APP
plause) Now the dry season is here
and the crops arc grown, and now |
want to know what the answer is that
those men have who said that the
bcnchlands OF Montana cannot be
iarmed successfully in dry year. |
tell you those men, I think, ought to
60 and hang their heads in silence
and alone and mediate over the in
justice they have done to the land OF
Montana, in talking about it in the
way they have talked in previous
years (Applause)
Now, Mr.. Chairman. would like
to say some practical things in regard
to farming land, but I am really
afraid. ladies and gentlemen. that it
would not be fair to you if were to
begin discussion on that aspect OF
the question. I do want to say, how
ever, in talking to the farmers Of
Montana about growing their crops
III the days that are to come, have
about made up my mind to do this:
TO tell them not to try to grow crops
the next year where grain crops have
been grown the previous year. In
other words, not to try to grow two
crops Of grain in succession on the
same land Now, do not msunder-
stand me do not mean to say that
t cannot be done sometimes know
it can be done sometimes. know
that some Of yon men have done it,
and | fear that some Of YOU will try
to do it again, and probably you will
to do it because Of tho element OF
risk that is in it. There is an element
Of risk in it. There are men in Mon
tana today, and | believe their name
is legion, who have plowed up the
land on which they grew grain last
year, and they have sown grain Oh
that land this year, and the grain has
never terminated; it has never begun
to grow, and on land beside those
very fields, where the land was prop
crly titled the previous year, they have
paying crop Of grain. So that | say
it is sort OF gamble to try to grow
two grain crops in succession or
Montana land. l do not think there
is any necessity for doing it, 1t car
be done in another way. 1t can BE-
done in the first place by summer
following part of the land. Now
by summer following a part of tht
land | mean summer following.
do not mean turning the land up as
have seen good deal OF the land il
the Judith Basin Now, do not mis-
understand me- do not mean to 81,
that there is not good farming being
done in the Judith Basin. know
that there is much good farming be
ing done in the Judith Basin or 20,
would not have the crops you hav,
rcapcd this year. but think it i
only fair to say that a good deal o
the blowing that has been done j,
the Judith Basin the last season i
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