The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-08-01
STATE COLLEGE
WEEKLY LETTER

ervoirs.
Reports on July l from tbs
State and Federal Crop Rotating
service state that range grass il
many sections of the state is dried
out and that hay is short, being
estimated at from 81 to 20 pei
|, cent of a full crop. The farm stor
age reservoir described in Exten
sion Bulletin No. So, Farmers
Storage Elevators, Diversion Dams
and Dikes,' was designed, and has
been found suitable for irrigating
feed lands on dry land farms thus
assuring adequate feed reserves
for winter and to prevent dry
seasons such as the present from
c~urtailing hay production.
The storage reservoir is con
structed by building a dam across
the lower end of a coulee thus
conserving water from melting
snow and spring rains for later
use. At the present time there are
a number of such reservoirs in
dry land areas of the state and
their owners report very satisfac-
tory results. However, the number
is comparatively small mainly, the
bulletin states, because of the
lack of knowledge of construction
and the idea among many people
that only a costly concrete dam
can be made to hold water.
Dirt dams in the state which
were built entirely by the farmer
are still intact after several years
of service. Proper construction is
the secret of succe in building
dirt dams and it is to give infor-
nation on the design and o n
struction of small reservoirs that
this bulletin was prepared.
Ask your county agent or write
to the Montana Extension Service
for copies of Extension Bulletin
No. SO. A storage reservoir on
your farm will enable you to raise
better feed on good years and
assure you of having sufficient
feed for dry years.
Alfalfa Valuable Crop
Feed is the limiting factor in
the expansion of the livestock
business, consequently feeds and
feed form a difficult prob
lem, Alfalfa has proven, especially
in the southeastern sections of the
state, to be a great help in solv-
ing the feed problem in the live
stock business. Besides it's use as
feed alfalfa yields a cash income
from seed. Up to the present time
the annual cash income from seed
produced in Montana was $780,
600.
The development of alfalfa rails
ing in Prairie county may well
be taken as a proof of what the
crop means to livestock men in
that part of Montana. Prairie
county has hundreds of acres of
grazing Land and is primarily a
livestock country. However, some
hay or other feed is needed to
supplement the range grass.
Prairie county farmers found
that the coulee bottoms and creeks
running through many of their
farms formed patches too small
for large scale grain farming but
which we're suited admirably for
raising.
The June progress report of G.
e. Lewis, county extension agent
at Terry, on the alfalfa project
in Prairie county shows what
farmers there think Of the legume
and of their increased interest in
and use of registered
seed.
In 1928 the total alfalfa acreage
in that county was Al acres. At
the close of the 1880 spring sea-
the figures had jumped to
$50 acres. There were two farm
srs producing seed from register /:
ID fields in 1923 and now there :
ire 81. This spring $40 pounds
# registered seed was distributed :
Indicating an additional 1000 acres
# alfalfa in 1881. :
Prairie county farmers raise :
.eed on good years when feed is :
.bundant and turn all their alfalfa :
.creage to production of hay :
Uhan tha caasans are dry :
Crop Imp. Assn. Meets :
Representatives from Utah, Wy :
Idaho,~ North Dakota, South :
and Montana assembled at :
Gontana State college on Monday :
nd Tuesday, July 20 and 20 at :
he western regional meeting Of :
he International Crop Improve :
lent association. :
The discussions were very large :
7 concerned with alfalfa seed :
reduction problems. New impetus E
yas given toward increasing the :
mciency with which alfalfa seed {
civilizations has been handled in :
he West and the wider produc- :
.on and use Of good seed Z
On Tuesday evening the entire :
altering drove to Karst's camp :
the Gallatin Canyon for din z
er. Waldo Kidder, secretary of :
le Montana Seed Growers asso- :
iation, believes that the meeting :
-ac ~ much henafit IN the al =