The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-03-31

balance OF over 20, OUO, OUU acres o
agricultural land which must be cul
tivated without the assistance of ir
rigation or else be used for stoel
purposes in the old-fashioned way. 4
great many people do not realiz'
that there is such an enormous are;
of agricultural land in this stat
which cannot be irrigated.
Farming and ranching may be di
vided into three classifications: first
stock raising; second, irrigation; anc
third, dry farming. These naturally
should all work together for the mu.
tual good. Each one individually is
exceedingly necessary. The state as
a whole is in a wonderful position as
a stock raising state due to the splen-
did quality of the grass cured on the
stump. Stock raising will always be
a large factor because such a large
percentage of the TOTAL acreage is
specially adapted for that purpose
only. 1t is right and proper to irri-
gate every acre Of land possible be-
cause that gives assurance of sue
cessful crops and provides greater d.
versity. Irrigated land will always
be worth more money than any other
agricultural land. Therefore, the
more land placed under irrigation,
the more wealth created.
The bulk of the grain will ulti-
mately be produced upon the vast
unirrigated benches. 1t seems rea-
sonable to u that if this is not
So, Montana will not produce very
much grain. 1t has been demonstrate
ed that when it rains sufficiently so
that grass grows for the stockman,
a good crop of grain can be raised
on the dry land by following proper
methods. The population of Montana
is increasing. The ranches are get
ting smaller in size. This means that
it will be necessary to raise some hay
the irrigated land to feed the stock
because the grazing areas are being
reduced.
We like to make ourselves believe
that the past five years have been
abnormal, and in that way explain
our crop failures, and in a like man
ner infer that when conditions get
back to normal, we will again have
good crops. A careful study of sta
tistics does not prove this to be true.
the last six years we have
had three abnormal and three nor
nal years. The years 1915 and 1915
both abnormal because they
wet years. The year 1919 was
abnormal because it was unusually
dry. During the next ten or twenty
years we will probably have more
seasons similar to 1917, 1918 and
1920 than any other. In 1915 and
inc crops because of the unusual pre-
If we continue to farm
n the future as in the past we can
lot possibly expect as good crops even
With an equal amount of moisture
because the land is SO foul
lue to poor farming.
Under S u C e s f | methods of
agriculture as followed in other dry
arming countries, good crops should
ave been produced in Montana dur
ng the last six years except 1919.
here is no reason why these results
annot be obtained here, as other
ountries have been successful I'M
.er less favorable circumstances.
We are informed that the Big
'end country in oregon was home-
teaded in 1888. The homesteaders
armed exactly as they have in Mon
ana. They had the same experience
hat we are having, and a great deal
f the land went into the hands of
he farm loan companies. About
895 a new class of settlers came in
nd took over the land and farmed it
ccording to proper dry farming I
lethods, causing the country to be-
ONE prosperous, making themselves I
lch, and raising land values from
tile or nothing up to eighty to one /
undred fifty dollars per acre. We /
re informed that the rainfall in that s
articular section of Oregon averages 7
'om seven to ten inches over a long
eriod of years. The average at I
hinook, Montana, for the last SO |
ears is Is 76-100 inches. Z
Many men have been successful in 6
farming in Montana. In almost f
very district some man has proven E
lie success of this method. Alvin r
/. Hull, who lives on Section 1925, r
3W, which is straight west of Col
MS, Montana, has produced success a
IL paying crops each year excepting i
919, and he did not have a failure a
1919. Mr.. F. K. Graham who has a
,sided on his ranch three miles east
Dutton for nine years has produc- t
l Is bushels per acre, or more, F
single year during the past r
inc years excepting 1919. a
In Supplement to Bulletin No. 1" il
sued by the Harlem Development r
ssociation is the copy of an affi- t
avit signed by Mr.. James w. Prem O
SIS who lives sixteen miles north il
ast of Havre, in which he states that D
started farming in 1914 and rails D
/ the following bushels per acre on d