Fergus County Democrat., 1912-07-23

ly impregnated with limestone. We
never saw as much limestone within
reach of the plants as there is under
a large proportion of that territory.
The limestone and gravel so impreg-
nate the soil, In places come so near
the top, that probably nine-tenths of
the plows used in the Basin are of the
disc type. The most of the farmers
do not use anything else except disc
plows. The reason generally given
for this is that it is impossible to keep
an ordinary plow sharp enough to do
good work.
Some of the most successful farm
ers use the disc plow both directions
before they consider their work of
plowing completed. They will first
go, say east and west, across the field,
and after that is completed go over
it again from north to south, cutting
a little deeper the second time than
they did the first. One of their very
best farmers told me that he adopted
this process even in breaking.
The Garden Of Eden.
AS we were riding on the train a
gentleman who sat near me with
whom l had been visiting and recount
ing the wonderful crops that had been
produced in the Basin, said, We'll, it
is the finest thing l have ever seen,
but it wasn't the Garden of Eden"
asked him why, and his answer was,
"If it had been, Adam and Eve would
have behaved themselves and never
taken any chances on being driven
out"
And when we recount the tremend-
Gus crops that have been grown in
this Basin each year since it has been
brought under cultivation, and then
observe it's beauties and contemplate
it's splendid climate, we are disposed
to agree with the gentleman whose
remarks we have quoted.
Development.
This Basin is being developed as
rapidly as any section of country we
know Of It now has two railway sys-
TENS, the Great Northern and the Chi
cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, each CIV
ing splendid service.
Lewistown, the metropolis of the
valley, has within the past four years
grown from an interior rural country
town to city of about four or five
thousand people. They have gathered
there from all points Of the compass
and they are thoroughly live bunch.
The Milwaukee has built in there
from the south, and is contemplating
the construction of a line this sum-
mer from Lewistown to Great Falls.
The Great Northern is building a
branch line into Lewistown from their
main line, and has survey from
there east into North Dakota. Each
of these companies is contemplating
the construction of another line from
Lewistown to their main lines.
4 Other growing towns that are CIV
ing particular promise are Judith Gap,
Buffalo, Hobson, Moccasin, Benchland
and Stanford.
A Development League.
The day we were at Hobson there
was organized for this Basin de-
velopment league. Representatives
were sent from the different towns in
the valley and an organization was
completed. 1t is the plan of this or
ganization to devote it's efforts par
! ticularly to the procuring of more
farmers in the Basin and the adoption
of better agricultural methods. 1t is
composed of the liveliest men in the
|
as is to be found anywhere.
Varieties OF Crops.
The crops generally grown are win
ter grains-wheat and rye, with con
siderable sprinkling of barley, spring
wheat and oats. We saw some corr
! planted that was doing well.
, Trials of alfalfa and red clover
have proven conclusively that the sol
and other conditions are thoroughly
adapted to the growing of these crops
The potato crop, where it has beer
tried, has proven very successful.
We noted several places along the
. right of way of the railway where al
falfa was growing three feet high OF
4 the sides of the grade, and in one par
ticular spot where it was fully tha
long at the top of a railway grade tel
feet high.
The Judith Basin will ultimately be
come one of the greatest agriculture
sections on the American continent
and the principal farm crops will b.
winter wheat and rye, corn for ensil
age, alfalfa and dairy products.
And that will mean, in turn, tha
: the longer it is farmed the NOR
, profitable will the business of farm
: ing become, and it will mean, too,
, permanent agriculture without an
. failures of crops or hard times for tn
farmers who follow such a system an
do their work we'll.
The Present Season.
When we were there things locke
the most unfavorable for this year.
crop that they have ever looked in tn
Basin. Grains that were poorly plant
ed-winter grains that were put 1
late in a poor seed bed, and sprin
grains that were not we'll put in
: were suffering for want of moisture
But one good rain within a week G
: the time we saw IT will mean goo
- crop even from the rather poorl
titled soil.
n But where the winter grains wer
;, put in early and on well-tilled sol
L -