The Bozeman courier., 1921-09-28
SUMNER FALLOWING
MEANS SUCCESS FOR
MONTANA FAR NJ ERS

from Montana dry farms now. And
hey have never given the state half
chance to demonstrate. Il
They have not dry farmed!
In April, 1920 the Montana Develop
nent association started to advocate
summer fallOw clubs like the one at
Harlem, where business men and farm
ers are all in together to make the
showing. Politics and deaf ears made
| It impossible to show much progress
out the scheme did get far enough so
there is absolute and positive proof Of
its feasibility and practicability and
is wonderful possibilities.
/ Throughout the state the papers are
| talking about the success of Alvin O..
Hull, seven miles west Of Collins, with
scientific dry farming. On July 8, en-
route to Hull's farm, the secretary Of
the Montana Development Association
drove all day over brown prairies and
between burning wheat fields where
, the scanty crinkled grain had withered
and died beneath the blazing summer
sun. Not one respectable crop was to
be seen in. the entire days travel until
Hull's farm was reached.
But there a keen, tall blue-eyed man
If possibly 80 took the secretary out
into a wheat field Of 10 acres that
touched his belt and was as even as
floor. Both the wheat and the man
were smiling cOmplacently on the hot,
dry day, for the field had been properly
summer fallOwed. o.
Next to the grain lay a smooth brown
field Of exactly the same acreage, sum-
mer titled and with not a weed in
sight It had been double disced the
fall before, it had been plOwed in May;
behind the plOw a surface packer had
followed. After three weeks when
weeds had started, the acme harrow
had destroyed them Hull dug down
with his shoe and at a depth of Ave
inches brought up moist earth that
formed into balls when he compressed
it in his fingers.
:, There could be no doubling. That
was the only crop in the dryest part of
the state, no rain had fallen since early
spring but the crop was there-no enc
could doubt it, -
Gan unusually hot. dry season here, !"
said Hull, "but it ought to make eight
cen bushels, don't you think?" His
keen blue eyes swept the distant ele-
vatlon where heat waves rose simmer
ing and a whirlwlnd hurried into the
distance
"How long have you been here?'
asked the secretary.
"Snce 1916" said Hull-he seemed
timid-hiS answers to former questions
had been very conservative-very care
fully made
"HOw much land?"
7 'Three twenty"
"Got it paid for?"
b. eyes"
"Have the cash when you cameT
"Homesteaded half, bought half OF
time"
,. make the money here to pay 70
it?"
eyes"
. "Since 1852
"Yes. Had a good crop in 1915
y plenty of rain. Have summer tile
= every since Lost out in 1919. N
y moisture the fall before"
2 "Get a crop other yearsT'
e eyes"
-e EVERY year?"
s "Yes, every year Lowest yield 1
t bushels"
"What banks do you owe?"
l. "Why the personal questions"
ie you're so different. Just wonde
Or ed"
y 81 don't owe any banks-I have SON
- money in the bank"
* "And this is JuIy-and everything
paid for and you made it here on tn
r. farm since 1918, one good year only
We eyes hut I don't like TO talk abol
IL my personal affairs"
n 81 know, but you ought to he willir
m to sacrifice your personal feelings. f
Ne the cause. Why don't your neighbo
u DO lkewise?"
III Il don't know. One of them doe
IN Els land is better than mine. He has
Ke better crop"
Where?"
-Four miles over there" He point
n. to a green spot in the brown distanc
iaC Since that memorable July ninth t
20 secretary has known that the SUNNI
III fellow plan is the plan Seeing is I
lieving. One crop in fifty miles trav
- an effective argument
IF every farmer and business man
Montana could only have seen It'll
= Official returns reached the off
z today
Hull threshed from the 40 acr
z 2f70 bushels, an average Of 221k bu
z els. .
We talk and talk-the farmers Il
z end talk-business men talk and tall
u 4 -,