Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-04-11
SERIES OF Meetings
SCHEDULED NEXT
week IN sheridan
Disaster In East-West MAY
Be Prevented By Sound
Program

With fertile soil being whipped
from one section to another In the
entire midwest states and the same
thing occurring on over4worked land
in this portion OF northeastern Mon
tana there Is growing concern for
the future OF agriculture.
Fertile surface soil in Nebraska,
Kansas and Colorado two weeks ago
was swooped up with high winds and
deposited in other states where 1t
was laid down loose and infertile,
making farming on a normal scale
impossible. Farm land In many por-
tions OF Nebraska, Kansas and Colo
RADIO will be worthless for years to
come from the recent calamity.
A series of three meetings are
scheduled for Sheridan county to dis
cuss tillage methods to reduce and
control soil blowing.
Sam Sloan, Agronomist Of Boze-
man, Will present material to show
what other communities are doing to
reduce erosion by wind. The serious
condition in the winter wheat area
where thousands of acres were dam
aged by high winds and drouth
brings out the importance OF taking
immediate steps to control this type
OF erosion.
The meetings IRE scheduled as fol-
lows: April IS, Thursday, Dagmar;
April 10, Friday, Medicine Lake;
April 20, Saturday. Outlook. Each
meeting is called for 1880 p. m. In
terested farmers should come pre-
pared to discuss soilblowing as
we'll as other tillage problems which
are causing difficulty.
E. G. Leedy, agricultural develop
ment agent Of the Great Northern
Railway, well known in this farming
area has compiled information on
strip farming which is intended to
defeat soil blowing wherever adopted
The information has been given
the Herald by Mr.. Leedy, and in
cludes a radio talk given by Sam l..
Sloan. Further information on the
subject may be secured from Mr..
Leedy.
SOIL BLOWING
BY SAM l.. SLOAN, AgronOmist
What are farmers In the summer
fallow ares Of Montana to do to
control soil blowing? Fifteen years
ago, soil blowing was practically un-
known, while during recent years 1t
has become so extensive that 1t Is
n Of the most important agricul-
tural problems in this region. The
problem will not solve itself, but Is
one that will become more aggravat-
ed as time goes on.
Aside from the direct loss of crops,
there Is the ever greater loss that
will result II farmers are forced to
cut down their summerfallow acre
age. Some system must be evolved
still MAINTAIN the right proportion Of
good summerfallow.
A series of dry years which are usu-
ally accompanied by high wind velo-
cities Is the main cause Of serious
soil blowing. Combine with this long
periods of cropping, excessive and
untimely cultivation, often with i'm
proper implements and you have the
background for serious soil move
ment and crop damage.
In regions that are on the margin,
where blowing only occurs occasion
ally and over small areas, much al
be done. at least temporarily, by the
$ a plowless fallow, which leaves a
large portion Of the stubble and
trash on the surface. This latter con
dition Is dependent on the soil type
and the use OF Instruments, such as
the duckfoot cultivator and rotary
rod weeder, which do not break up
the clots, rather than the excessive
$ of the disk and spike tooth har-
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