The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-07-23
Wheatgrass Held Salvation
of States Marginal Lands

John A. Wilson of Stanford, first
place crested wheatgrass winner in the
International Hay and Grain show at
Chicago last year, who has given the
own farm, highly recommends it for
bringing back into production Mon
tana'S marginal lands.
Genuinely concerned about the thou
sands of acres Of marginal Lar In
Montana, Mr.. Wilson believes it can
be brought into production OF forage
and crested wheatgraSs is the crop to
do it." He points out that such land
has no value now, but with a fair cover
give a fair return on the investment.
1T is quite certain that no other
grass crop of which we have knowledge
will yield as big returns to the owner
as crested wheatgrass," he says.
That MI. Wilson is a student OF
crested wheatgraSs is attested by Ralph
D. Mercer, extension agronomist at
the Wilson farm. Mr.. Wilson has been
growing the grass for a number of
years and his successful experience ap-
pears to justify his faitk.
His first field was planted many
years ago on summer fallowed ground.
For several years Mr.. Wilson subjected
it to every sort of hardship to de-
termine for myself just what its prop
critics were"
He reports pasturing his first five
acre tract until it was literally eaten
into the roots, first with cattle, and
then with horses" He made no effort
rough treatment had determined the
crops hardness and value as a forage
crop.
In 1884, a very dry year, Mr.. Wilson
reports planting 80 acres of crested
wheatgrass on land in crop the year
before. It was plowed, disked lightly and
seeded with a common grain drill early
in April. It produced a fine crop Of
seed the following year, also extremely
dry. Since then he has seeded $50 more
acres and intends to expand.
In spite of the recent successive years
of drouth, Wilson says he has raised
would have made three -fourths ton per
acre as hay. This yield came when grain
crops were nearly complete failures.
One experience with the crop sur
prised him in spite Of his belief in its
persistent hardness. He attempted to
pillow an old three-acre feed lot, mostly
gravel. The pillow barely scratched the
surface. He planted a mixture of wheat,
oats, barley, crested wheatgrass and
o"SSu v AVS i
pounds of crested wheatgrass. The plot
was ~overgrown with weeds, yet in three
years time the crested wheatgraSs sur
vived, made a good crop and killed
out all the weeds.
Wilson's recommendation of the crop
today after his experience proves to
him that it is unbeatable" Extreme
heat, bitter cold, sudden change Of tenn
perature do no seem to affect it. It
is "all but impossible to kill it by over
grazing" It is the first plant to green
up in the spring and the last to remain
green in the fall.
1T is my opinion that a normal
amount of winter moisture will pro-
duce a good crop Of crested wheatgrass,
ven if there is little or no rain during
the growing season. It will crowd out
miliar, including military grass, fox
tail and fan weed" he says.
Discussing his methods of producing
grass successfully, MI. Wilson says he
has the best success planting crested
wheatgrass in sweet clover stubble after
taking off a hay crop. He also had
good success planting on ground in
which alfalfa has been killed out.
Under present conditions he believes
reason is, the danger of soil blowing.
In any case he is convinced it should
be seeded shallowly in a firm seeded
and prefers seeding with an ordinary
seed drill.
"should weather change and wet
years come again, 1t is possible better
results would be obtained on summer
fallow, but in any case q firm seeded
is essential. My experience has shown
me that the best time to seed Is late
in the year, too late for the grass to
| come up before sprtn1."
Commenting on reported failures Of
the crop, he says, most Of them weren't