The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-08-27
New Experiment Station AT
MILES City Will Solve The
Problems of Stock Grower

tBy r. B. Millin, livestock spe-
cialist, Montana State College Elk
tension Service.)
TN THE middle of the last hall
Of the Nineteenth century the
- range cattle problem in Montana
was largely one of bringing enough
cattle through the winter to be able
to make a favorable report to the
owners in the spring. Today the
margin of profit in the cattle bust
ness even under favorable price con-
ditions has narrowed down to the
point where the tremendous winter
losses that the catlemen wer accust-
omed to 35 and 40 years ago would
prove ruinous What was considered
a favorable report then would be the
first step toward bankruptcy today.
Thus the cattle industry in Mon.
tana is confronted with problems to-
day which the old timers didn't even
think of, and strange to say, up un.
til a few months ago, the United
States did not have a single place
where these problems Of the range
cattle business could be studied and
solved While the general farmers
dairymen, fruit growers, and men en-
gagged in other lines of farm business
had their experiment stations In every
state, and in some cases mere than
one, the range livestock business
which involved many millions of dol
lars was receiving little more than
such attention as was possible for
the western experiment stations to
squeeze in along with their regular
work. Such work was limited be-
cause the ordinary state experiment
station was not equipped to consider
the range problems.
AT last, however the United States
government, cooperating with the
state of Montana has started a range
experiment station and in so doing II
has come about as close as possible
to the biblical instruction to beat
the swords into pruning hooks. The
military establishment in Montana
known as Fort Keogh has become
an experiment station for the study
of range livestock problems, the first
of its kind in the United States
That the rest of the United Staes Is
interested in this project is attested
by the fact that eastern agricultural
colleges are already planning on
sending special classes to the con
verted fort to study the work thai
will be done there. Further national
interest appears from the following
story sent out by the United States
Department of Agriculture, announc
ing the new experiment station AND
discussing the work that will b,
done there. The story follows:
A want that has been felt for year.
| for suitable place to study an,
solve the problem OF the western
stockmen has at last received atten
ton. The United States Department
of Agriculture and the Montana Elk
| pertinent Station are preparing :
tackle some of these problems on
huge scale. The old Fort Keogl
Military Reservation at Miles City
Montana was recently transferred b
congress to the Department OF Ayr
culture for experiments in stoc
raising and growing of forage crop
In connection Herewith" The sta
ton is considered ideal for the pui
pose. 1t contains 5000 acres c
grazing land and 1000 acres of II
rigated land. Two railroads and tn
Yellowstone trail cross II. Its gee
graphical location and topograph
will make the results obtained usefl
to many sections of the country.
Although the station was tram
: ferred without special appropriate
: by congress for its operation the fir
. year, fund has been created fro
1 money that has bees2 saved fro
2 other appropriations and work thI
Q could not safely be delayed has bee
r begun.
d The reservation is being gradual
!. changed from military camp in
S an agricultural experiment static
d Hay that used to feed cavalry hors
l. is now being harvested for beef ca
9 tie and sheep feeding experiment
9 and soldiers barracks will be occ
pied by farm laborers. The amin
IT husbandry division of the Unit
e States Department OF Agriculture h
e been made responsible for the ma
q agement and operation of the 81
n tion, and the experiments will