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

Total for 9 years, 1913 bushels per
acre. Average for nine years, %
bushels per acre.
This was on an average of over
40 acres, but Mindecker states that
it was not really good summer fallow
as he did not have the proper tools
for preparing the ground and con-
serving the moisture.
Every agricultural country, regard
less of how successful now, passed
through trials and tr~ibulations in its
infancy. There were failures and
doubters there exactly the same as
in Montana, only a great deal worse,
and still these countries passed this
period and safely arrived at a point
where there was no further discus
sion as to whether or not they we're
really agricultural countries. His
tory shows that the first settlers in
any country are never good farmers.
The reason for this is that the sue
cessful farmers are not usually pion-
GERS. A new country has never made
any progress 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 per-
m%anency and less discussion as to
whether or not the land can be sue
cessfully farmed.
There is a certain district in Nom
tana which is an exception to the
above statement. 1t is well built up
and looks substantial and permanent.
Not 10 miles away there is another
district with equally as good soil and
the same amount of railfall but which
looks very new and unstable. The
first district was settled by farmers
from Nebraska who thoroughly un-
derstood dry farming methods be-
cause they had practiced them at
old home, and they moved up
to Montana and made good. The
second district was settled by people
many states, representing many ]
walks in life besides farming. Prac-
none of these men understood
Try farming methods. In other
it is the man and not the
An old rancher in southern Mon
ana once stated that any time it
aimed enough so that the grass
would grow, a dry farmer by proper
Methods could raise a good crop of
iodder corn, which he, the rancher,
would be very glad indeed to buy at
reasonably good price. Another
9ccessful old time rancher in the
part of Montana owns
nice 4,000-acre ranch. He states
lie does not know what to do with
ranch. He is not particularly
Interested in agriculture and the
ange is all fenced out. He states
Ie cannot raise enough live stock on
his four thousand acre ranch alone
Without any outside range to make
proposition profitable. A care
I'll study of this situation proves that
he above statement is true provided
hat an attempt is made to raise the
took according to old fashioned
Methods.
Without a doubt this ~4,000-acre
can be operated successfully
y following more modern methods
hitch means more intensive feeding,
tc. This being the case, where is the
sed to come from. There is no irri-
ated land in connection with this
anch. In other words, dry farming
lethods will have to be successfully
)lIO W Ildh6 ILLS lOui InOuSduu
ere ranch of any great value unless
is run in connection with a large
of other grazing land which |
t present is not available.
These statements are made to show
lat there is no intermediate ground.
ither the state will be successful ag- |
culturally, and will make ROOF for
n eyer-increasing population or else
will be forced to revert to stock !
in the old fashioned way with !
lie open range and no fences. This,
{ course, means a decided reduction
population over what it is at the
resent time, and of curse is not
contemplate. A good foun-
alton has been laid upon the as
lmption hat agriculture will be
lccessfuI. A great deal of loss to
7ery one will be sustained if agri-
49, l. - -