Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-03
PROLONGED DRY
PERIOD in ALL
PARTS0F STATE
Rains in Northwest Counties
Help Fall Grain and Speed
Up Flowing.

The latter half of October in Mon
tana was marked by a remarkable free
dom from storms and very little rain,
which prolonged the dry period over
most of the state, according to q re-
view made by G. A. Scott, agricultural
statistician of the Montana co-opera-
tive crop reporting service, broadcasted
through the radio service of the Mon
tana Farmer, published in Great Fans.
The service is maintained through The
Tribune's broadcasting station, kD1s.
Fairly good rains in the three
northwestern counties. which greatly
helped fall sown grain and speeded up
fail blowing said the statement. a
little rain fell in the central part of
the state and in the extreme western
sections, but not enough. Light show
ers were reported in other sections.
with a little snow in the northeast
corner Warm weather prevailed for
the most part, with freezes reported
in the northern, northeastern and
mountain sections only.
Aid to Farmers
such conditions have been condu-
Give TO the completion of threshing,
hauling, spud digging, beet harvesting,
etc. and movement of stock. On the
other hand it has seriously checked fall
blowing and seeding. and much grain Is
suffering from drought, Flowing has
been about impossible in many districts
on account of hard dry ground. Much
fall grain will go into winter in bad
shape unless we have good rains and
continued warm weather for a time,
which combination cannot reasonably
be ayDecfed now.
THE car shortage became more pro
nounced, and was the cause of serious
ly delaying marketing grain. as we'll as
livestock, spuds, apples, etc.
Most of the potato crop that will
be dug has been dug. and with only a
small proportion of it marketed. most
of it is in available storage, and in
temporary storage pits. The market
movement has been very slow. and this
has been aggravated by car shortages.
Many fields will not be dug account of
the low prices. In the lower Yellow
stone section. many spuds were injured
by being frozen in the ground, and some
already dry were caught without sufil-
cient protection.
Pastures Suffer
"Of course, the continued drought
has not improved pastures, and has cut
some water holes short. but generally
the grass is good. and stock in better
shape than it has been for years.
There is apparently more feed than is
required to carry the states stock
through a hard winter. with a surplus
in places. The marketing movements
have been heavy during the past Is
days, but it has been seriously ham,
pered by shortage of cars.
While this situation has been a
hardship for some shippers, it has I'M
doubtedly aided in preventing the usual
gluts of western cattle at the big mar
kets, and may have been of some adj
vantage in that way. The strong de-
mand for all classes of sheep and lambs,
backed up by tempting prices, causes
sheeprnen to register cheerfuiness and
optimism. Cattlemen are faring not
SO well, and old obligations are in many
cases forcing liquidations. Too many
cattle of the breeding class are being
sold for the good of the industry in the
state"