The Glasgow courier., 1922-09-08
NEED FOR DIVERSIFIED
FARMING IN MONTANA

By J. G. Haney, of international Har.
vester Company Before Bankers
Association at Missoula.
Every farmer and business man in
the spring wheat region must realize
that our prosperity has rapidly de-
clined during the past six years, from
1916 to 1921 inclusive. This is be-
ciuse Of very poor crops in most Sec
tions, produced at high cost, and a
decline in prices of all farm products.
Many farmers are facing ruin, and
this condition will rapidly extend to
every other line of business. The 1916
crop in many localities was entirely
ruined by rust as the last minute be-
fore harvest. The present crop, while
good in most sections, must be sold
at little above cost of production. Hea-
w winds, drifting soil, drouth, floods,
heat, frosts, insects, increase in growth
Of weeds, rust and other plant dis
eases, have all contributed to reduce
the profits of the main money crop,
wheat.
ut is evident that different sys-
tenn of farming must be adopted if
Montana is to become a prosperous
agricultural state. Many farmers, who
have previously lived in the older
farming regions, know that just such
conditions have been experienced be-
fore, particularly in the older small
grain regions.
While the inevitable change to a
diversified system Of farming has
been made, prosperity has returned
and land that was taken over for a
small mortgage is now worth ten times
as much as it was when small grain
was grown exclusively. This has been
made possible because the farmers quit
depending entirely on small grain.
They grew into livestock, dairying,
hogs, chickens, sheep, grew corn, clo-
yer, potatoes and other crops, which
are not affected by such conditions as
ruin the wheat. They adopted sys-
tenn of farming which conserves the
producing power Of the soil.
Fifty years ago the center of the
spring wheat production was in the
Mississippi valley in southern Mime
sofa; now it is west Of the Red River
valley, along the international line.
Southern Minnesota today is in the
great livestock, dairying, corn and
clover region, and land is worth ten
times what it was during the wheat
growing period. They grow much
wheat and other small grains still,
but only in rotation of crops. They
have a diversified system of farming
and have overcome many of the diff
culties that are bringing disaster to
our grain growing sections.
During the years 1916 to 1921 there
has been a shortage of moisture at
times when the wheat needed it, but
corn, clover and other crops that do
not need moisture at the time that
wheat does, have made good crops.
Corn, sunflowers, alfalfa, sweet clover
and rye may be depended upon to
make crops when wheat fails. 1t is not
necessary to go outside of your own
locality to observe the benefits to be
derived from growing a diversity of
crops. Many farmers are already, or
have always followed this kind of
farming, and their farms and finan-
cial condition have demonstrated that
wheat following corn shows nearly as
large yield per acre and is produced
at less cost, than wheat on summer
fallow. The Brandon, Manitoba, ex-
perimental farm, in 1920, report the
yield Of wheat on summer fallow 20. 80
bushels per acre, produced at a cost
OF $1.53 per bushel; on corn land, the
yield was 1888 bushels per acre, pro-
duced at cost of 76 cents per bushel.
The corn when fed to livestock NAV
also be made to show a profit.
Soil Drifting.
Owing to heavy winds and shortage
OF moisture during the past years,
much drifting and blowing of soil has
been experienced on many farms. The
system followed in small grain farm
ing tends to deplete the humus or fibre
content until there is nothing to hold
the SOIL particles together Hon. Dun
can Marshall of Alberta has warned
the farmers that continuing the sum-
mer fallow practice will lead to ruin
OF the soil, and that they must adopt
diversified system of farming-grow
more clover, grass, cultivated crops.
ana provide for returning more humus
or fibre to the soil to prevent blowing
and add plant food.
Diversified Farming.
The fundamental consideration for
the future prosperity of this or any
other agricultural section, is main
tanning the productive power of the
soil. Decreasing yields, weeds, insects.
plant diseases and blowing of the soil,
are indications of the improper hand
ling OF the soil, and diminishing SUD-
ply OF fertility. From 1916 to 1921
the decreasing yields, weeds and plant
diseases have been moro no+;cooh1o