The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-04-13
GROW GRAIN AND
HELP THE NATION
MONTANA FARMERS SHOJIID
PRODUCE EVERY POSSIBLE
BUSHEL OF GRAIN.
Agricultural Preparedness Necessary.
says Governor Stewart; Kansas
Crop Will Be Not Less Than Fifty
Per Cent Short Is Official Esti-
mate.

That Montana will be called upo1
this year to furnish every possible
bushel or pound of food products i.
becoming increasingly evident. Gov
ernor Stewart received recent,
from the secretary of the state boarG
OF agriculture of Kansas a letter in
which attention was called to con.
ference held at Topeka, March Is
The conference was called by Gov.
ernor Capper, was attended by far.
mers, and the object was to devise
ways and means to increase the az.
rlcultural output of that state to
meet the demand to feed the world
The conference discussed the subject
OF what crops to grow, the farm labor
problem, storage and marketing. the
financing of the tenant-farmer and
other similar topics.
Creates Food Commission,
AS a result of the conference reso-
lutlons were adopted urging the Gre
alton of federal food commission,
people in the cities were called upon
to utilize all vacant ground for grow
ing garden truck crops for immediate
table use and to preserve by canning
or storage all surplus products for
winter use. Farmers and farm chill
dren were urged to participate in the
same activities. Bankers were asked
to cooperate closely with the farm
ers in providing funds needed for
seen and necessary equipment for
farm operations and in order to en-
able farmers to maintain breeding
stock.
"There can be no question:" said
Governor Stewart yesterday, "of the
necessity for what I may call agri-
cultural preparedness, in view of the
worldwide situation. While Mon
tana will not be able, owing to it's
comparatively small population, to
respond numerically as will other
states to the call of President Will
son for troops, nevertheless this
state can and l believe will do her
share in helping the nation in this
time of need.
Kansas Short Crop.
In the letter which accompanied
the communication from the secre-
tary of the Kansas state board of ag-
riculture the statement is made that
the condition of wheat in that state
is the poorest in years, and that Kan
sas cannot produce this year, with
favorable weather henceforth, more
than SO per cent of crop at best. AS
Kansas usually produces one-seventh
to one-fifth of the nations wheat an
nually, short crop or comparative
failure will leave big deficit in the
nations surplus. This fact, l believe,
warrants the farmers of Montana in
devoting all the land possible to
spring wheat. My belief is it will not
only be good business for the farmer
to do this because there is every rea-
son to believe that prices will be high
but the Montana farmer who does
will be rendering distinct and di-
rect service to his country.
"The backward season will mill
tate, in all probability, against Mon
tana having as large an acreage in
wheat and other cereals as would
have been the case had it been posi-
BILE to have started the blowing as i
early as in normal years, But des-
pite this, hope and believe that
Montana will do it's full share toward
agricultural preparedness"