The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-07
WATER
SUPPLY Is GOOD
FrOm the Montana State COIIege)

AIWI O4CC09gA49 I'D 9gAA 1Ok4AAS
" more than a hazardous guess
and predictions on possible growing
conditions during the coming season
are necessarily futile, the latest is
sue of the Montana Agricultural
Outlook" by the agricultural eco
Monies department at Montana State
college points to certain favorable
conditions existing this spring which
will give crops in many parts of the
state a good start. A survey cover
ing every county in Montana indi-
Gates that in at least three-fOurths
of the area of the state there is more
moisture in the soil than normal and
in some places the moisture supply
is greater than at any time in the
last 10 years.
The report as given in the 'Out-
look is not to be taken as a fore
cast of crop yields for the season, o
is it suggested that the supply of
moisture now available is sufficient
to carry crops to maturity. Tempera-
ture and rainfall during the growing
season will determine, to a large ex-
tent what the harvest will be. The
amount of moisture in the soil at
planting time, however, is an import
ant factor in. determining the kind Of
start plants will get in the long jour
ney to maturity and the crops which
receive a favorable start have just
that much better chance of weather
ing unfavOrable conditions later on.
Therefore, the fact that most of Mon
tana's important crop growing re-
gion is supplied with more than the
normal amount of moisture is high
ly encouraging.
Generally speaking, the northern
Montana counties from the noun
tains to the Dakota line and the cen
trail area of the state reaching to the
southern border, including Mineral,
and Lake counties on the west and
Fergus, Golden Valley, Saltwater
and Carbon on the east report album
dant moisture in the soil. The great
er part of Yellowstone county also is
we'll supplied. The northwestern part
of the state and parts of the south
eastern section report a below norm
al soil moisture content.
Parts of nOrth-central Montana
! which have suffered most from lack
of rainfall in recent years appear to
be abundantly supplied at the out
set of the present crop season. From
many sections reports have been re-
ceived that moisture extends deeper
into the soil this spring than at any
time since 1916.
Much of the favorable moisture
condition is attributed to the net
fall of 1925 and to the comparatively
mild winter which allowed a high
percentage of the water to soak into
the ground. With few exceptions
most of the counties west of the
mountains report a normal snowfall
during the past winter and this toe
has contributed materially to the
available moisture this spring. Wes'
of the divide, however, snowfall wa
lighter than usual.
he amount of snow in the noun
tains is a fairly accurate index o.
the water that will be available fol
; irrigation purposes during the sea
son. Counties in the eastern two
l thirds of the state appear to be in
favorable position in this respec
= with indications of sufficient store,
moisture in the mountains to NEE
the ordinary irrigation needs Of tn
growing season. West OF the divid
II is possible that C6ILd1u areas VII
have a water shortage unless particu
: larly favorable weather condition
prevail. Shows of late March an
early April somewhat reduced tn
possibility of a water shortage i
western Montana counties.
The Outlook" report states ais
that farmers in most parts Of tn
state got an especially early star
with their spring work this yea.
Some blowing was done in FebrUaI
and in March approximately 60 pt
cent of the farmers of the state wei
in the fields. Yellowstone, RoOsI
welt and ChOuteau counties repO.
farming operations were in fu
swing during this month.
Grazing prospects in national 70
ests also are reported as very favO
i, able. Pastures are we'll alOn
growing conditions in April we
/ very favorable and forest supervise
: expect that the grazing season W
open at least 10 days or two wee.
earlier this year than usual.