The Bozeman courier., 1927-09-30
Types of Farming i'm Plains COuntry

Types of Farming in Plains Country
The attendants at the conference
found that the types Of farming carried
on in that county fall roughly into three
groups:
Specialized wheat farms, con-
fined largely to the bench lands.
Second-Combination farms producing
feed, livestock and wheat.
Third-Livestock farms or ranches
where land is suited chiefly to grazing
because of conditions OF soil, topography
and rainfall.
Certain bench lands are the only
lands in the county where straight wheat
farming is profitable at the present time'
| the conference reported. Prevailing con-
ditlons make large acreages and low cost
production necessary and these in turn
require the most efficient operation. The
use of tractors, efficient summer fallOw
machinery, such as the duckfoot culti-
vator and combine harvesters, are popu-
| lar on these farms. There has been
! gradual increase in the size of unit Of
these farms until today 40 acres are re-
garded as necessary for profitable pro-
duction.
In acquiring additional land for wheat
production the purchase of land by the
crop payment plan is regarded as more
satisfactory than leasing when funds
are not available for outright purchase.
For most successful operation the units
making up the wheat farm should be in
one block. Where units are scattered,
gasoline power has a decided advantage.
It is not practical to operate units more
than two to four miles apart.
Some of the more favorable combina-
|, tions of enterprises for general farms on
foothills and rolling land were found
to be:
First-Wheat and beef cattle, with ade-
quate provisions for hay and pasture.
Second-Wheat, dual purpose cattle
: and feed with the necessary feed sup
plies
Third-Wheat, potatoes and sheep in
any adapted combination.
; Fourth-Wheat, corn, cattle and hogs
! on lower rolling lands
Fifth-Wheat, dairy cows and poultry.
Sixth-Wheat, dairy COWS and hogs
+ where pasture and feed are available.
5 The Farming Grazing Type
r The general tendency is to combine
grazing lands with tillable lands to de-
veiop a farming grazing type Of agri-
culture which is highly desirable under
present conditions on rolling and foot
hill lands. Under such operations there
is need for increasing the carrying ca
pacity Of the grazing land.
Feed reserves are highly important on
} general farms. The livestock on such
} farms is considered the insurance against
occasional off-years when yields or
- wheat prices are low. For the insurance
= to be effective there must be a supply
|, of feed on hand to tide over the bad
r. years.
e While the general farms of this type
e probably always will grow some wheat,
d Increasing competition may be expected
: from the straight wheat growing areas
I, and successful operation will depend
e more and more upon skillful manage
h ment and the proper selection Of adapted
- enterprises to go with wheat growing.
IS Grazing enterprises must be developed
rrloa no 1orun1u n-fi11a hln
le There are areas in Fergus county where
,e homesteads have been abandoned and
S. where grazing is the chief agricultural
20 enterprise. Much land of this character
n is cut up in small units owned by widely
se scattered owners In many cases paper
values and taxes are out Of line with
the productive worth of the lands,
a, Successful Crop Production
ID After a committee had studied the
ID rainfall records of the county and the
lie average period between frosts of spring
and fall. it submitted the following gem
l. eral principles for successful crop pro-
le duction:
ID serves Of moisture from one year to the
next by means of approved summer TIL
g, lage methods and inter-tilled crops.
re Second-It is important to reduce loss
le of moisture by timely and frequent
eradication Of weeds.
w lnlrQ-COfn prOQuCJlOn mas DuC a Inn
IN tied place in farming systems in the
le higher attitudes Of the county.
le Fourth-Greater advantage should be
Ie taken of the natural assets of the county
- - for the production Of high quality prod
40 ucts.
A. Fifth-There should be a more general
N use Of safe and low cost methods Of pro-
co duction
The report then takes up tillage meth
ods, crop standardization, smut control
Of hay and forage crops, livestock and dairy
6, ing, poultry raising, potato culture and
III gardening.
at ALI in all, it proves what was said in
t. the beginning Of this article-to make
d. a success Of farming in Montana ou
lie foresight must be as good as our hind
OF sight. And to the men who profit by the
I'll mistakes Of the past, bountiful reward
D. is in store.
lg Montana is-and always will be-the
greatest state in the Northwest.