The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-03-07
Must Have Depression Reserve
However, Says Field Sta
ton Supervisor

which they can hold their own against
drought, cold. and wind under normal
economic conditions, according to
John u. Stephens, supervisor OF the
federal field experimental station ct
Mandan.
Depression reserves. now under con.
stderation BY industry also, are neces.
sary tor successful dry land farming,
however, he said. In industry the re
serves must be financial, but to the
farmer reserves mean hay and grain
Tor their livestock and extra seed q
Wen - money, Stephens says.
The region Of the Northern Great
Plains In which the dry land agricul.
ture work Of the department u under
way includes the dryer parts Of North
Dakota, and South Dakota, Montana,
Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado.
Although In no wise considering the
area suitable for = ''back-to.the-land''
movement, the department can say
that after approximately 80 years Of
work the federal and state stations
have accumulated enough information
on different phases Of dry land farm
ing to be able to outline . general
program. which, Il followed, usually
win prove successful.
Must Have Big 0rubstake
However, the very fact that the re-
serve program - necessary makes the
dry land region one for depression
or subsistence farmers to avoid The
man who would begin farming In this
region must have approximately twice
Is much Of . 'grubstake" Is the man
In = more favored region. He must
have capital enough to live on for m
extra year, enough to prepare the
land for the next years crop. and he
must have enough OF . reserve on
hand to carry him through . possible
drought year.
The program Of the federal station
ct l6andan and the cooperating state
stations Is five-fold, Stephens says.
First came the development Of cul-
tural methods suited to the region.
Next has come the development Of
feed crops and the handling Of live.
stock under dry land conditions.
Third Is tho breeding and testing Of
new crops for the region. A fourth
has been intensive development Of
vegetables and small fruits which
can grow successfully under the rig
orous climate Of the northern states.
Finally, much work has been done In
testing tree planting, particularly
shelterbelt paintings which demon
strate what can be done to protect
farm homes and buildings against the
prevailing heavy winds.
The work Of the dry land agrtcul-
ture stations has been to gather SUI
1icient facts 20 that any farmer IN
that region can get the Information
he needs to meet his particular pro-
blems, Stephens says. Farmers In the
region have realised that It Is subject
to drought some years, and that any
successful farming program must
make allowance for lean - well q
fat years. TO do this. the stations
urge tho reserve plan. Under TINS
system each farmer always has enough
livestock feed on hand ct one time to
carry him through ct least full year.
even II his crop fails. The station at
Mandau has helped promote the use
Of cheap. easily constructed trench
silos which keep corn for long periods.
Climate Not Changing
The periodical droughts which have
occurred In the years since the plains
were opened to homesteaders have
dispelled the idea that the climate =
changing. Most Of the farmers real
Ire that droughts are to be expected
and their concern Is to find farming
methods which win enable them to
continue In business and to make
their homes there. Working with the
farmers who seek such . program, the
stations have developed . system
which works even under adverse con.
ditions. Proof Of the effectiveness OF
some Of the newer methods y shown
By the fact that droughts Of recent
years have been - severe - IN the
early days, but some Of tho farmers
It least have known how to meet
them and have been able to remain
on their farms although In the early
days settlers had to leave.
atephens doubts that the Great
Plains region viii b taken out OF
cultivation. He points out that the
people have settled there, and with
their own experience supplemented ~
federal and state research have de-
veloped . farming system practically
proof against most Of the conditions
which are likely to occur.
The work Of the Nandan and other
stations has produced results which
largely apply to the whole region. al-
though some Of tho work done In CO.
operation with the state stations =
mainly Of local value.
The Mandan station has been u.
strumental In extending the corn
belt into North Dakota ana the de.
velopment Of coGn-growing has ~.
suited In making Morton county. In
which the station u located. one Of
the leading dairy counties In the
state. Effort 70 discover the best
cultural methods has resulted IN the
finding OF methods that work best
IN the plains region. An instance Of
this y the discovery Of the value Of
early summer following. Formerly
summer following was . job to Be
done In snare time, and the farmers
Usually plowed their fallow In the
Aniddle Of the summer or later
whenever It WAS most convenient.
station tests show that fallow plow-
ed before or BY juno I. consistently
yields ~ to bushels moro wheat
IN acre tho next year than late fal.
lowed land. THIS simple difference
alone Is likely 10 spell the difference
between profit and los On . crop,
Htanhens says.
4 EncooEaEeG God 0ullg
\ Il only aye crop projects under
WY % the stations, but q Nsndan
Don't Get Up Nights
I'M. 4 M MA