Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-04-24

r. d. LINT AEkAO
Director Of the Montana Agricultural
Experiment station at Montana State
college since 1904, who has resigned.
ten years, vice dean of agriculture.
Taking McKee's post as professor Of
agronomy will be A. H. Post, associate
professor Of agronomy since 1880.
In 1902 Director Linfield came to
Montana State college as agriculturalist
from q professorship in animal and
dairy industry at Utah State college.
He was selected by Director Samuel
F'ortier who said he believed "Linfield
had done more to develop agricultural
industries of Utah than any other Of
ficer of its experiment station. We hope
he may become as potent a factor in
building up our infant industries so
products, such as butter, cheese, poul-
try, and hams, now supplied by Utah,
may be produced by our people"
While Fortier was on leave in 1903,
Linfield became acting director and
when Fortier did not return, Linfield
was named director in 1904. The Farm
ers' Institute movement and agr1cul-
tural teaching was also headed by Lin
field and in 1918 he became dean OF
the college Of agriculture.
Director Linfield, whose vision OF
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ment should be, Is revealed in his
several annual reports. Through all
Of them runs a definite goal OF con-
servation, development and proper
utilization of the states agricultural
resources, including development OF in
FAINT industries to which Fortier re-
ferred.
During Linfields IS year term. the
state has increased In population from
GAS, 900 to 100000. The Montana Ag-
ricultural Experiment station has
grown from a small unit at Bozeman
with q staff Of eight, to a statewide
institution with five branch stations
stated by 40 men. Branches are located
at Moccasin, Corvallis. Havre, Huntley
and Miles City. The last two are OPP
Grated comparatively with the United
States Department Of Agriculture.
In establishing their branch stations,
Director Linfield proved that they were
necessary because Montana has too
large, had too many different soil
types, too wide variations IN climate
for the results of the Bozeman tests
to be indicative Of the entire state.
-Four fields of effort were outlined
in the first report written by Director
Linfield. They were: testing and origin
ating new varieties of plants and pro-
duction methods, study Of the best use
Of water, the relationship Of land to
livestock, and control Of insects and
diseases which affect grain and stock
raising.
These four efforts, outlined in 1904,
indicated that his vision Of Montana
in the future was a much more thickly
populated state. He was the first to
question the ACCESSIBILITY Of breaking
out the dry land area before soil sur
veys of experimental tests determined
it's productive ability Visualizing a
more thickly populated state, his eff
forts were directed to greater diversi-
fication and greater production OF feed
crops to make income certain, rather
than straight grain and livestock farm
ing. He believed that continuous CROP
ping robbed the soil OF too much
fertility.
Director Linfield's testing Of varieties
of grain saw Montana's wheat stand
ardized 70 percent before the drouth,
instead of the conglomoration Of var
ieties placed on the market before.
To combat the huge loss OF fertility
from continuous cropping, he started
crop rotation tests. They made it pos
sible to conserve soil resources, build
up fertility and utilize the soil re-
sources.
The diversification was an outgroWth
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sugar beets, and alfalfa were used in
rotations. They made it possible to build
up production possibilities in irrigated
areas without the expensive summer
fallow system that was then quite
general
Flood irrigation tests were started
by Director Linfield in 1908. In 1896,
more than 1000 acres were flood
irrigated by farmers. Irrigation exper-
imentation nearly revolutionized water
spreading methods and introduced land
preparation before irTigating.
Successful livestock feeding tests were
run. They covered winter feeding Of
range stock, development Of lamb fat
tening rations and baby beef fattening.
Research work In potatoes was par
ticularly successful under Idnfield's di-
rection. Practically all Montana seed
traces back TO experimentaliy developed
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