Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1912-01-30
INSTITUTES
: HUGE SUCCESS
LARGE NUMBER OF FARMERS RE.
SIDING NEAR LEWlSTOWN
LISTEN TO TALKS.
GREAT INTEREST ISHOWN
Men Who Till the Soil Ask Experts
Many Pointed Questions, Which
Are Answered Promptly and Fully
Former Iowa Man Gives Suqges.
tions Concerning Flax Growing.

tions Concerning Flax Growing.
That the farmers of the Judith
Basin are keenly alive to the advan-
tages to be derived from the adoption
OF modern and scientific methods Of
tilling the soil, is being demonstrated
this week by the keen interest which
is being shown in the farmers insti.
tutes which are being held through.
out this section OF the state. The
Moore meetings last Friday were
largely attended and the most sue.
cesslul sessions of the institute ever
held in LewistOwn were those OF yes.
terday afternoon and evening. The
growth OF the better farming spirit
could be appreciated by those who
happened to be present at the first In.
stitute meeting ever held in this city
and also at the meetings yesterday.
The initial sessions were attended by
not to exceed half dozen farmers
practical benefits which might be de.
rived and were there largely out OF
| curiosity. Yesterday afternoon and
evening every available seat In the
county court room, some two hundred
in number, was occupied and almost
exclusively by farmers who were pres.
| ont ne hot {nf knk
ing Of practical value could be learned.
They gave the closest attention to the
talks by the three experts present and
manifested their interest by their
sharp inquiries. r. ~
Address by Holloway.
| G. ]. Holloway, of Gallatin county
was the first speaker introduced at
the afternoon session by Judge
Cheadle, who presided. Mr.. Holloway
is a practical farmer, who has retired
after over a quarter OF century Of
successful farming. He is an enter
tanning talKer, largely by reason OF
the fact that he SO evidently knows
what he is talking about. He dis
cussed the growing Of oats and the
weed problem. Mr.. Holloway empha-
sized the necessity Of sowing only the
cleanest OF seed, urging that the grain
be famed over and over again, so as
to eliminate all possible danger OF be.
fouling the ground by sowing weed
seed. For getting rid OF weeds once
they get start, he advocated the
, close pasturing the young grain and.
in the case of the fan weed. stated
that summer fallowing for at least
two and possibly for three or four
years in succession is the only system.
Crop Rotation.
Prof +. s. Cooley spoke on crop
rotation. He stated that the first OBJ
ject is to grow a money CROP" that
. is, some crop which will bring in for
the farmer some ready cash, and ex
pressed the opinion that winter wheat
is the best crop for that purpose. OF
the different varieties OF winter wheat
he considers Turkey Red the best for
this country. He considers that al
falfa promises well in this section fol
a soil enriching crop, which should
! follow the money crop, although field
peas have been grown with wonderful
, success in the Gallatin valley.
, How to Grow Flax.
M. l.. Wilson, formerly connected
|
, state of Iowa, was the last speaker,
his subject being, FLAX Cniture." He
stated that flax growing is always 60
ing to be profitable wherever it can
be grown with any success and ex-
pressed the view that Montana, and
especially the Judith Basin, is well
adapted for the raising of fax If
proper methods are adopted and fol-
lowed. He considers good breaking
the fundamental principle of success
in growing flax, and stated that, &C.
cording to MS view, fOur-inch break
ing Is better than six-inch plOwing.
After breaking the soil should be
packed thoroughly by means of some
corrugated rOner. The disc and
packer should follow the plow and
the seed sown before the ground dries
out. From 20 to 80 pounds of fax,
depending on the character of the soil.
should be sOwn to the acre. 1t should
not be sown deeper than from one
to one and One-haf inches deep and
press attachment should follow the
drill. To rid fax seeti of disease can
be eradicated by treating the seed
with fOrmaldehyde, with sprayer.
The Evening Session.
The evening session was also large
| ly attended and the talks were again
highly interesting. Mr.. Holloway's
subject was COOPERATION" Mr.. Will
son spoke on "Todds Wheat" and
Prof. Cooley on Frank Bakers
Carocr