The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-05-25
Editors Note-This is the fourth
of a series of articles dealing with
soils and their fundamental import
op,a 70 NJoDfana'S Agriculture.

(By d. T. ATLIN)
Montana is noted the world over for
its copper and clings jealousy to its
reputation as the home of huge herds
of range cattle, but it is so new ag-
riculturally that only a few know that
crop yields have been obtained here
which easily take their place alongside
those reached in some Of the most in
tensively cultivated areas in the IN
tied States.
This state has produced 1916 bushels
of corn. 563.7 bushels of potatoes, 1868
bushels of oats, 26.9 tons OF sugar beets,
7.6 tons of alfalfa hay, 76,6 bushels of
wheat and 63.4 bushels of beans per
acre. These yields are a matter of &C.
ord and may be verified by any n who
inspects the books kept by the Huntley
branch station.
Not only can the records of yields be
seen but also the methods by which
they were obtained.
The chief reason for such yields is
soil. They illustrate what has been
done with the ideal soil made by man
teamed with nature. Nature can do it
alone but is not always lavish. Much is
left undone and it is only in very small
areas where nature has been generous
enough to provide ideal soils. Indeed
it would be useless to have ideal soils
all over Montana for bumper crops are
produced only when climatic conditions
likewise are ideal. But ideal climatic
conditions would be useless were it not
for soils.
The Importance of soils can be ap-
preciated more thoroughly by consid-
ering that all but a few of the people
of Montana are dependent upon them
directly or indirectly. Montana farmers
and ranchers have spent roughly $751;
600,O on buildings and land. The in
vestment in farm machinery is about
S62, OO0. 900. All livestock was valued at
approximately $83, 600, 900 in 1881. These
are but a few of the investments made
because of soils.
This huge investment was made fair
ly rapidly. During the period 1906-1915,
Montana had its sudden upturn in rural
population. The new settlers banked"
or the soils they selected being such
that profit would follow. They were en-
couraged by finding virgin soils, fav-
orable moisture conditions and high
prices. These favorable factors joined
together to raise false hopes. Good
yields coupled with good prices caused
enlargement of homes and huge eX-
penditures of capital for equipment and
irrigation.
Settlement in those early days was a
hit OF miss proposition. There was no
information at hand to indicate to the
settlers whether or not the soil would
reward them. A settler picked out a
spot which appealed to him and others
followed his lead. When profits began
to dwindle, the first reason was at
tributed to lack of water. Water then
was supplied through irrigation prof.
ects perfect from the engineering stand
point but not all perfect from the ag-
ronomic and economic standpoint.
In a few instances water was applied
to soils materially lacking in essential
plant foods. Such soils could not pro-
duce profitable crops without the costly
addition of fertilizers, which would
have been too expensive. Drainage and
alkali problems developed unexpected
ly. Abandoned projects, or projects
hopelessly in debt are outstanding x
ampleS of these early and unavoidable
mistakes.
Satisfactory soil in those early days
is not necessarily a satisfactory soil to-
day. Soils which produced enough
wheat to return a profit when wheat
was high in price couldn't return a
profit when the wheat price dropped.
Now, under present prices, only the
good soils will return a profit. Even the
good soils must have their fertility care
fully guarded.
Stockmen who came here when the
range was new were flushed with sue
cess at the way the highly nutritious
native grasses put meat on their stock.
They enlarged their herds. New-com-
ers arrived with large herds which were
further enlarged. Sheepmen followed
the cattlemen's example. Soon there
we're too many cattle and too many
sheep. The range which at the same
time was shrinking because of home
stealing, was ove~r-grazed. The nutrit-
ious grasses slowly disappeared and
weeds took their places. Lack of water
holes prevents using all of the avail
able range for cattle would not put on
fat and hunt for water.
The more fortunate of the new-com-
ers survived the early trials facing all
pioneers because they luckily were To-
Gated on the right kind of soil. The
lucky and unlucky had pinned their
faith on the soil. They bought land,
built homes, became attached to the
soil and looked forward to a bright fut-
ure.
Today there are two pictures. In the
one is the bright future promised by
such heavy yields a. were obtained at
the Huntley branch station. In the
other is the desolate hopeless outlook
for those who picked the wrong soil.
The innumerable homestead shacks, the
thousands of miles of fencing, all
abandoned. represent an unbelievable
price paid for guessing about soils and
climate.
Tearing through to the fundamental
reason for false hopes, wasted money
and energy, finds soil standing out as
the all-important factor. Moisture also
is impOrtant but moisture is pOWerless