The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-10-02
From Montana State College.

~ ULPHUR and molasses was the
~ ever ready remedy for all hui
~ man ailments in grandmother's
medicine chest and now it appears
that sulphur and lime in the more
familiar form of gypsum is proving
an equally standard remedy for the
low productive silt soils of Sanders
county. Tests being carried on in
this western Montana county under
the direction of the Montana State
College Extension Service show that
the application of a small amount
of gypsum is having a striking re-
~juvenating effect upon soils which in
some cases were pronounced too
thin" to grow a crop. In many
cases the application of 200 pounds
of gypsum to the acre, valued at
$1.20, increased the production of
clover and alfalfa hay more than
100 per cent.
The work with gypsum in Sanders
county actually started about IA
years ago when a farmer near
Thompson Falls, tried a little to
see what it would do. The results
seemed satisfactory for he contin-
ued to use the gypsum and a little
later a neighboring farmer also
started using it. For a number of
years these men continued their
practice without attracting attention.
In 1919, however, w. r. Ginther of
Trout creek happened to notice one
of the farmers unloading a carload
of gypsum and upon inquiry found
out what it was being used for and
the results that were being obtained.
Mr.. Ginther tried the experiment and
had the same success that the 9TH
er farmers had.
About this time F. M. Hillman,
then county agent for Sanders coun-
ty, visited Mr.. Ginther's place and
obtained some first hand informa-
ion on the use of gypsum. Immed-
lately some experimental work for
he county was outlined and the fol-
owing spring a number of farmers
the county were induced to try
plots with gypsum. In the fall
# 1928 the first real results of this
work became apparent under the
leadership of M. A. Thorfinnson
Who became county agent upon the
of Mr.. Hillman.
On checking up the work in the
all of 1928 it was found that 100
'er cent increase in yields of such
rops as alfalfa and clover were the
ule rather than the exception and
n one instance an increase Of 400
er cent was recorded. In addition
Q checking yields on test plots, Ed
Burke, chemist for the Mon
ana Experiment Station, conducted
on soils from treated and from
djacent untreated plots. These
disclosed that there was enough
Inference in soil conditions to ac-
cunt for the difference in yield.
Quite as striking as the increased
ield was the fact that hay from I
he gypsum treated land showed a d,
increase in feed value. AL !,
lfa samples taken from the land
here gypsum had been applied {
bowed as high as SO per cent in
rease in protein content and 35 per :
ent increase of protein was noted :
clover. Even timothy hay from l
'eated land was IL per cent higher '
l protein than similar hay from I'M
'eated land.
ihO eOoto WOlo coutiuuou Ill 1871
nd a recent check on test plots a
lowed similar results to those OBJ c
aimed in other years. Generally
ry conditions reduced yields con- :,
derably throughout the county u
provided an excellent compari- n
n which showed up also to the ad- e
lntage of the gypsum treated land.
here gypsum had been applied hay II
,peared green and luxuriant, while Il
T