The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-08-28

%cialist, Montana State College Elk
tension Service.)
TN THE middle of the last hal
of the Nineteenth century tn,
range cattle problem in Montan;
was largely one of bringing enough
cattle through the winter to be abb,
to make a favorable report to tn,
owners in the spring. Today tn,
! 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 cattle men were accus.
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 ever
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 more 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 n 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 it
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 Keough 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-
verified fort to study the work that
will be done there. Further national
interest appears from the following
story sent out by the United States
of Agriculture, announc-
ing the new experiment station and
discussing the work that will be
done there. The story follows:
A want that has been felt for years
for a suitable place to study and
solve the problem of the western
has at last received atten-
The United States Department
Agriculture and the Montana Ex-
pertinent Station are preparing to
some of these problems on a,
Military Reservation at Miles City,
Montana was recently transferred by
congress to the Department of Agri-
for experiments in stock
and growing of forage crops
n connection herewith" The sta
ion is considered ideal for the pur-
,ose- 1t contains $4,000 acres of
land and 1000 acres of ir-
land. Two railroads and the
trail cross it. It's geo.
graphical location and topography
will make the results obtained useful
o many sections Of the country.
Although the station was trans
erred without special appropriation
" congress for it's operation the first
ear, a fund has been created from
money that has been saved from
ther appropriations and work that
ould not safely be delayed has been
egun.
The reservation is being gradually
hanged from a military camp into
n agricultural experiment station.
lay that used to feed cavalry horses
now being harvested for beef cat
lie and sheep feeding experiments,
nd soldiers barracks will be occu-
led by farm laborers. The animal i
usbandry division of the United
tates Department of Agriculture has I
cen made responsible for the man
cement and operation Of the sta !
ION, and the experiments will be s
onducted in cooperation with the +
[ontana station and other divisions |
T the federal department. 1t will |
9 called the United States Range c
livestock Experiment station. e. w. /
heets, assistant chief of the animal +
usbandry division, who recently v
oent several weeks at the new sta t
on organizing the work, reports ex- t
client progress made. /
The complete hay-mak1ng outfits il
ere purchased and 500 tons of ex-
client quality alfalfa hay was made \
nd stacked during ideal weather.
fifty acres of corn has been planted y
nd is doing well. Two silos were s
uilt. The pumping plant that C
jumps water from the Yellowstone b
yer was put in operation in order to b
rotect the buildings from fire, to ir- d
gate the crops and to provide water S
b