The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-03-18

lolol lOI - years., 100 DuSIlelS per
acre.
Average for 8 years, % bushels per
acre.
This was on an average of over forty
acres, but Mr.. Windecker states that
it was not really good summerfallow
as he did not have the proper tools to
prepare the ground and conserve mois-
ture.
Every agricultural community, re-
CARELESS of how successful now, passed
through trials and tribulations in it's
infancy. There were failures and
doubters there exactly the same as in
Montana, only a great deal worse, and
still these countries passed through
this period and safely arrived at a
point where there was no further dis
cussion as to whether or not they were
really agricultural countries. History
shows that the first settlers in. any
country are never good farmers. The
reason for this is that the successful
farmers are not usually pioneers. A
new country has never made any pro-
gress until the second or third sets of
land owners have moved in. In any
district in Montana where this change
in ownership has taken place there is
added solidity and permanency and less
discussion as to whether or not the
land can be successfully farmed.
There is a certain district in Mon
ana which is an exception to the above
statement. 1t is we'll built up and
looks substantial and permanent. Not
ten miles away there is another dis
trict with equally as good soil and the
same amount of rainfall, but which
looks very new and unstable. The first
district was settled by farmers from
Nebraska who thoroughly understood
dry farming methods because they had
practised them at their old home, and
they moved up to Montana and made
good. The second district was settled
by people from many states, represent
ing many walks of life beside farming.
Practically none of these men UNDER
stood dry farming methods. In other
words, it is the man and not the coun-
try.
An old rancher in southern Montana
once stated that any time it rained
enough so that the grass would grow,
a dry farmer by proper methods could
raise a good crop of fodder corn,
which he, the rancher, would be very
glad indeed to buy at a reasonably
good price. Another successful old
time rancher in the southeastern part
of Montana owns a nice four thousand
acre ranch. He states he does not
know what to do with this ranch. He
is not particularly interested in agri-
culture and the range is all fenced out.
He states he cannot raise enough live
stock on his four thousand acre ranch
alone without any outside range to
make it profitable. A careful study
of this situation proves that the above
statement is true provided that an at
tempt is made to raise the stock ac-
cording to old fashioned methods.
Without a doubt this four thousand
acre ranch can be operated successfully
by following more modern methods,
which means more intensive feeding,
etc. This being the case, where is the
feed to come from? There is no ir-
rigated land in connection with this
ranch. In other words, dry farming
methods will have to be successfully
followed to make this four thousand
acre ranch of any great value unless ii
is run in connection with a large
amount of other grazing land, which
at present is not available.
These statements are made to show
that there is no intermediate ground
Either the state will be successful ag'
riculturally, or else it will be forced tc
revert to stock raising in the ole
fashioned way with the open range ant
no fences. This of course NEAR a de
ided reduction in population over what
it is at the present time, and of course
is not pleasant to contemplate. A goot
foundation has been laid upon the as
sumption that agriculture will be sue,
c~essful. A great deal of loss to every
one will be sustained if agriculture i.
mot successful. We have far more il