Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-07-15
CROP SITUATION
IN MONTANA

IIoIcSSof SHaW gives pam StaCe-
ment of facts: Because Of the dry
weather that has prevailed in certain
sections Of Montana since the open.
ing of spring the impression prevails
in certain quarters that the bench
lands of Montana cannot be success
fully farmel. That certain sections
Of Montana have been visited with
the driest season experienced in 30
years is certainly true. That many
Of the new settlers in the areas of
greatest drought will reap only
scant harvest is certainly true, but
this does not mean that the bench
lands OF Montana cannot be success
fully farmed, nor does it mean that
good money cannot he made from
farming them.
The crops east from Glasgow to the
Dakota line, both to the north and
south are good. The crops around
Great Falls are fair. In the Judith
Basin and Judith Gap districts they
are excellent and in the country be-
tween Broadview and Billings they
will probably approximate 80 per cent
of full crop.
That the new settlers from Glasgow
west to the mountains have been hard
hit is certainly true. The rainfall ut
Havre during April, May and June
has been only 2.6O inches or about
a; >f :,
rainfall at Chester during March,
April. May and June has been less
than two inches. The same is pract-
cally true of all the area referred to
as dry. 1t could not be otherwise un-
der these conditions than that crops
should have suffered and suffered Sc
verely. Many of the newcomers plow-
ed up some land and sowed flax and
other grains upon it, and under the
dry conditions that have prevailed,
the crops have failed. 1t could not
be otherwise. The land was broken
up in the spring and much OF it was
broken late. The result has been in
many instances tnat the seed did not
germinate, of course there could be
no crop. 1t should be noted carefully
that under those conditions we never
promised Il sure crop. Ii the rainfall
is plentiful II good crop of flax may
be secured and also of certain other
| good crops of grain cannot be secured
OH spring plOwed land. Ii the land
has been summer-fallowe ed the prey
ious season or it it has grown cult
waited crop, then crops may be eN-
pected almost any season, but no
spring plowed land in a dry season.
cultivated crops are the only crops
that may be successfully grown.
never was more firm in the opin-
ion than am today that the bench
lands Of Montana can be successfully
farmed. This confidence is based
first on the average amount OF the
rainfall OF the present season. At
Havre, which is the place of short
rainfall along the main line of the
Great Northern, the average precip-
ltation at Havre for the growing peri
cd for thirty years, that is for months
of April, May, June and July has
been ia inches, and the average at
Great Falls for the past ten years fol
the same months has been 9.54 inches
Where the normal rainfall during
these months is from I to inches
the question of growing crops sue
cessfully need not be doubted. \,
Chester from March lst the rainfall
has only been two inches or not more
than One-third of what is norma
and yet the crops Oh the Chester eN
pertinent farm were looking fairi.
we'll when July was ushered in. \
Havre Mr.. Holland had winter whea
that would go not less than probabl,
ten bushels to the acre on rainfall
of 2.6 inches for the months of Marcl
April, May and June. On the farm
of w. II. StrinyfellOw also of Havre
was crop of corn two feet high OF
July lst and looking healthy on thu
same rainfall. The power of Mon
tana soils to hold moisture is simpl
marvellous.
Hard as Montana has been struck il
the areas named it has been struck N