Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-04-23
MEETINGS that ARE
HELD ATTENDED BY
MANY SOIL TILLERS
Workings of Plan Outlined
by Farm Extension
Specialists


Specialists
with the windup of a series of meet
ings Friday, Sheridan county farmers
VIII have learned about the new Soil
Conservation program which has been
launched as a substitute for the AAA.
Starting last Wednesday explanation
meetings have been held at various
towns and communities. Attendance
has been good-an indication that
farmers are decidedly interested in the
new farm program.
At Plentywood Monday night more
than 65 farmers attended the meeting.
Tue day farmers in the Outlook and
Wesley communities heard of the pro-
gram and Wednesday meetings were
held at Comertown and Redstone. To-
day sessions will be held at Archer and
Dooley and Friday at Raymond and
Wolf Creek.
The meetings are in charge of Coun-
ty Agent M. j. Petersen, r. G. Tyler,
Harry Ehrmanntraut, P. c. Petersen,
John Shoal and Nels Olson.
1t has been stated that as soon as
the Montana recommendations have
been approved or disapproved, work
sheets will be filled out by the county
committee.
How the new soil conservation pro-
gram may be applied to a Montana
farm is explained:
Take a farm of 200 crop acres. This
farm has 160 acres of wheat and 40
acres of barley and no other crop in
1885. AS wheat and barley are soil de-
pleting crops, the 200 acres will be
the soil depicting base under the pro-
gram.
Payments will be made if the soil
building and soil conserving crops such
as alfalfa, sweet clover, crested wheat
grass and the like on this farm in 1886
equal Is percent of the soil depicting
base.
The IS percent requirement means
thai 30 acres of this farm must have
a s)il conserving or soil building crop
on it in 1896. Suppose this farmer de-
cides to build up his farms fertility
mere quickly than the conservation
program contemplates. He can do this
AMI still te eligible for payment
Therefore he puts in 40 acres of sweet
clever instead of 80 acres and reduces
his wheat 10 acres and barley 80 acres
According to the requirements of the
program, this farm will be entitled tc
a soil conserving and a soil building
payment.
Figuring the Payment
The soil conserving payment will be
figured as follows: A certain rate oi
pay per acre will be set for this farm
based upon its productivity. A ma
tional average rate of $40 per acre
for the entire United States has al
ready been set, based upon product
ivity. An average state rate will be sci
soon and then the several county av-
erage rates. Suppose the county rate
is set at ST. per acre in the county
where this farm is located. Suppose
this farm is 80 percent as productive as
the average for the county. Then its
rate will be $3.50 per acre. A farm may
receive more than the average county
rate if its productivity warrants it.
The maximum acreage for which a
soil conserving payment will be made
is Is percent Of the base. AS 80 acres
J is Is percent Of the base of this farm
it's soil conserving payment will be
$500 times 80 or $168. This is the sol
: conserving payment only.
1t must be remembered that thi:
payment will be made for each acre
of the base acreage Of soil depicting
! crops used for the production of sci
conserving or soil building crop il
: 1896. Therefore, if a farmer is to quail
S ify for this soil conserving payment
r he must grow at least Is percent of hi
soil depicting base acreage. He will no
e be paid for any acreage in excess of i
S percent of the base.
Rates Per Acre
! This farmer will be entitled to TIL
soil building payment. This will b
figured at certain rates per acre 70
each soil building and soil conserving
crop. AS this farmer chose sweet clio
yer, suppose its rate is S1.50 per acre
\ AS he will put in 40 acres, this woult
figure out to $50. But, the program
sets a maximum for which a sol
e building payment can be made. Thi
II maximum is a sum in dollars equa
to the number of acres of soil buildin
and soil conserving crops. AS thi
= farmers acreage, sweet clover acreag
= will be 40, the maximum he can re
ceive for a soil building payment vii
S be $40.
h The soil conserving payment of SIG
e plus the soil building payment Of $4(
will give this farmer a total paymen
d for 1886 of S208.
This example Of how the program
: will work with respect to this partic
ular farm is the simplest of illustra
tions and will not cover all cases. Tn
various rates Of pay used were arbit
rary and used for illustrative purpose
. only.