Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-14
LAND TILLACE
AID TO RETURN
OFPROSPERlTY
Humphrey Says Development
Associations Program
Has Helped. ~

The summer tillage campaign of the
the Montana Development association
will be granted a big place in the re-
turn of prosperity to the state, writes
J. l.. Humphrey of Great Falls, a di-
rector in the association and the state
manager of the Capital Trust & Saw
ings bank OF st. Paul, in a recent is
sue of the bulletin of the ASSOCIATION.
The a~rticle> reads:
Without a question OF q doubt, the
campaign of the Montana Deievolp-
ment association for summer tiliage
has been completely successful, and
will go down in history as one of the
outstanding features of our return TO
agricultural prosperity.
1.-The fact remains, however, that
scattered over the state are men who
are still doubtful of this summer till
age policy. who advance theories tend
ing to show that disced in crops, or
crops on spring or fall blowing, are
superior. 1t has been a most inter
esting wear for making comparisons of
this kind. 1t has been known as a
year favorable to crops disced IN or
sown on spring blowing. We have
found in making actual Investigations,
that there have been some good, far
crops raised on lands prepared in this
manner. but in practically every in
stance, properly summer titled ground
has produced enough more gram to
more than warrant the method.
Fields Are Compared
I'VE watched. with q great deal OF
interest, one particular field which
was sown on improperly prepared
ground. Across the road was a field
of wheat sown on properly prepared
summer titled land. During the grow
ing season, it was thought that the
poorly farmed piece was going to pro-
duce the most wheat an acre and diff
ferent theories were advanced to show
why this would be the case. However,
the threshing machine told the story,
and there was q difference OF SIX
bushels an acre between the two fields
the field which was properly pre-
pared producing the better results.
Investigation will prove, that, as a
general rule, crops on summer titled
land are about in proportion 10 the
character of the work done. Summer
tillage is of no avail if weeds are
allowed to grow. Authorities state
that one ton of dry Russian thistles
consumes $4,000 10 quart pals of wa
ter in the growing. If the farmer
does not raise any thistles, that much
moisture, naturally, can be used in
producing a grain crop. Further pub
licity must be given the fact that the
common, ordinary drag or the disc,
will not suffice in the battle against
weeds. Some character of a weeder
must be used. During the past year,
the extension department of the agri-
cultural colleges through its county
agents, carried on demonstrations
showing the necessity for using these
weeders.
Must Continue Work
"Nluch good has been done, but the
work must be pushed and carried on.
Bulletins issued about a year ago, by
the Montana Development association
told of the success of Alvin Hull. Mr..
Hulls record for the last seven years,
is as follows: 1916. 80 bushels; 1917,
u IL bushelsi 1918, 20 IL bushels;
1919, cut for hay; 1920. 90 IL bush
els: 1921, p bushels; 1922, q bush
els.
An examination Of his field in the
early part of October, revealed plenty
of moisture and not a single weed was
found. 1t would seem that Mr.. Hull's
of more than 20 bushels an
acre for the last seven years, in each
instance of fields Of over 100 acres,
should demonstrate. conelusively, the
wisdom Of following this method. and
our bankers and business men should
make it q point to constantly be on
the alert to put up a fight for clean,
summer tillage."