The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1922-12-07

| bushels to the acre on the Ole Lef-
dahl farm and 81 bushels to the acre
on the liver Lefdahl place. wheat on
the same farms averaged only three
bushels to the acre as a result or the
hail. A good many other farmers
exhibiting at the show told similar
stories of the hail-resisting nature OF
corn.
Many also were the experiences
told by the farmers of the powers
of drought resistance held by the
new crop in northern Montana. In
1913. when wheat was a total fail
ure in northern Montana, Frank
Schempp of Freewater phillips
county, raised % bushels of corn
to the acre on a 30-acre field; Fred
Primeau of Malta raised 26 bushels
to the acre, e. Kronsnable of Saco
raised 20 bushels and many other
farmers had similar success. w. P.
Stapleton, county agent of Phillips
county, says that the average yield or
corn in the county in 1919 was l6
bushels to the acre-this in the most
~unfavorable year for crop production
that has ever been experienced in the
northern counties.
One of the real corn veterans OF
Phillips county is Fred Primeau
whose farm is located not far from
Malta. In 1917, Mr.. Primeau made
his first attempt with corn, putting
in 80 acres of Dakota White flint.
The crop did so we'll that he increased
his acreage to as in 1918, 80 acres
in 1920 and 1873 acres in 1921. For
the last three years he has marketed
a carload of hogs each fall, finding
good markets in Libby and Great
Falls. Last year the Primeau hogs
brought a cent and a half a pound
more than was being paid on the
st. Paul market the day they were
sold. This year Primeau has 80
purebred Poland China brood sows
that will fallow in March. He has
1000 bushels of corn in his bins.
Northwestern Dent Popular
In Hill county such farmers as c..
L. Stewart of Havre, Fred Behrends
of Havre and John Fox of bingham
have been growing corn for a num-
Der of years and are having good
success with it as a cattle feed. North
western dent is the most popular va
riety in Hill county. Gehu flint and
Dakota white flint have quite a fol-
lowing.
Blaine county also is turning
strongly to corn production. e. G.
Miller of Harlem, E. M. Parker Of
Savoy, Gus Burchard of Chinook and
others have been raising corn since
1917 and have been having splendid
results from their seed selections.
Mr.. Miller is one of the real corn en-
thusiasts of the north country. he
has found corn to be a dependable
crop on his farm and a mighty valu-
able crop in graduating weeds, con-
serving moisture for the following
crop, checking soil blowing and fur
nishing feed for poultry, hogs and
cattle.
Prior to 1920, George Phillips of
Glentana VALLEY county, vas a grain
farmer. Horses were the only live
stock he had on his place. In 1920
he tried out a field of Gehu corn. 1t
was SO successful that he has been
growing corn ever since. He plants
about rs acres and feeds it to his
milking Shorthorn cattle and his Du-
roc Jersey hogs. He has reduced his
wheat acreage one-half and finds that
his yield is increasing from the wheat
grown on corn land. He is building
up a diversified system of farming
and has all the confidence in the
world in the north country now that
he knows 1t will produce corn.
George Lease of Bainville Crosse
welt county, says that if he had had
the corn acreage in 1919 thai he has
now it would have saved him nearly
$1,000 in feed in that one year. w.
J. Burnison of Wolf Point was form
erly a straight wheat farmer, but in
1920 he started out with some Gehu
and Northwestern dent corn. Now he
grows alfalfa and sweet clover to sup
plement the corn in feeding his Here
ford cattle and hogs, and he wouldn't
think of going back to the straight
grain business.
Pioneers in Important Movement
One of northern Montana's real
pioneers in corr growing Is DR.. j. l..
Atkinson of Poplar, who has been
at it for 16 years. He has developed
IN early maturing, small cob yellow
dent corn from a selection of one of
the earlier varieties of yellow dent.
This corr has proved very depend
able and has matured seed without
a break for Is years.
Then there is F. A. Kronschnabel
of Saco, who was all but driven to
the wall by the one-crop system. He
tried corn and his experience has
made him a booster for the crop. Last
year 25 acres of Dakota white flint
produced 600 bushels of ripe corn.
Sin 1920, % acres netted him 800
bushels and during the three previous
years he produced ar average OF II
bushels to the acre.
These and countless similar exper-
fences were heard during the three
days of the corn show at Malta. Far
mers who took up the new crop a few
years ago and stayed with it despite
the jokes and criticisms of those who
said it couldn't be DONE" selecting
their seed carefully. and raising the
varieties best adapted to the northern
attitudes, are now looked upon as
pioneers in a great and immensely
important undertaking. When wheat
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