Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-11-25


Ranchers failed to produce results
that would give them a fair return for
their labor. Conditions have changed.
Lands that were considered absolute
iy valueless are being made to pro-
dlce thirty-tive bushels of wheat to
the acre on less than twelve inches
OF moisture. While they as Il rule
get over fifteen inches. but they have
their dry years. and the successful
rancher harveSts every year he sows
crop that amply r-pays him for his
efforts.
The proof of it is that every wheat
rancher that has been at the business
for the past ten years is wealthy.
there are few who fail to produce
every year. but they soon get out Of
the game and the land Oh which they
failed passes into the hands of the
man who knows how to do things, and
makes good. Why has one man fail
ell where his neighbor has succeeded?
The man who succeeds is the man
who has mixed his brains with his
work.
Why does one merchant fail and
Others in the same town with like
conditions succeed? The same ques-
tion may be asked with any business
or occupation. The same answer will
apply in every case. The successful
man informed himself on the condi-
tions he had to meet, and devised Il
way I" meet them to his profit. \ poor
farmer makes Il poor country, poor
country, il poor town. a poor town Il
poor merchant, 4 poor merchant is
the cause of poor banking facilities.
SO the success of any farming Sec
ton, state or county, depends OH the
man who OWNS and tills the soil. The
greater profit is his and he gets it.
In going over the state Of Montana
find some who have good grain,
while their neighbOrs have none. Why
80: Without giving names or situa-
tiOns, will tell you of results, and
why.
On the \. =. in the eastern part of
the state, Il company has 800 acres OF
wheat that is averaging close to twen-
ty-iive bushels per acre, while in the
same section much OF the grain will
never be cut and others will get a
yield OF five to eight bushels.
These people with the good crop
plowed their land deep one year ago
this spring. They pulled the harrows
behind the plows, thoroughly pulver-
izing the soil. Had they first plowed
the ground, leaving the fresh burrows
turned to the sun and wind to dry out.
doing their narrowing later, it would
not have been possible to so thorough
ly pulverize the ground. The clods
would have left the ground open to
the elements, extracting the moisture.
Lay clod in fresh prepared ground,
after lnontl, of dry wea' her has gone
by lift the clOd and see the results.
The sun and wind have thoroughly
dried the clod, capillary action has
drawn the moisture from the soft
the dirt dry Of moisture, while Il foot
in either direction moist earth lies
close under the blanket Of finely pull
verified soil.
So these people saw that the soil
was thoroughly narrowed. Before
seeding time in the fall they summer
fall0wetl the land, getting rid of the
weeds and softenng up what crust
may have formed on the surface.
Sowing in the fall the ground was in
condition to store the rains and snow
ches deep. thoroughly pulverized, will
hold lots Of moisture. When spring
came, no June rains, the grain drew
it's moisture from below. 1t is we'll
known that ground prepared this way
will extract moisture from the sub
soil by what is called capillary action.
Such was proven t" be the case with
this ground. Instead of the wheat
ShriVeling for the lack Ol moisture,
they are harvesting Il good Weld.
These people by the 4th of July
this year had 900 acres broke and
narrowed for fall seeding. Their
ground is thoroughly pnlyerized, and
again are they in position to conserve
the fall of moisture, and should they
get no rains in June next year they
will have moisture enough to make Il
good crop.
This is not an isolated ease in Mot
tana. In every district no matter how
dry it is. You will find some one who
farmed to conserve moisture, and has
II good crop to show the result Of
his effort.
MI