The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-08-11

tratlOn, OF national interest,".
The valley is encircled on the
west, north and east by snow
clad pinacles and has a setting
OF unusual beauty. The lowest
temperature on record is -4O
the highest is IS. The average
summer temperature is IS de-
grees. The average rainfall is
l4:9l inches. The average snow
fall is 46.2 inches, most of which
falls during December and jan
uary. At Palmer, proper, there
is a model community center
of 18 large buildings comprising
a large combination community
and three-story school building,
a hospital, trading post, post
office, power plant, garage,
warehouse, dormitory and prl-
vate residences for the colony
officials. The roads IN the val
ley have been extended to reach
colonists' sections OF land, to
afford easy access to the trad
ing center.
At Palmer we transferred to
a sightseeing bus for a tour
of the colony. We stopped first
at the home of MIR Pippel, who
is one of the outstanding sue
cesses of the valley. He came
came from Hennepln county,
Minnesota and drew one of the
few places on the tract that
had a few acres or cleared
ground. Being a market gard
ener, as was his father before
him, he Immediately began
growing vegetables and has
prospered. He has a small
greenhouse where he raises Gu
cumbers and tomatoes. I asked
hi m how he pollenized the
blossoms and he showed me
a hive of bees set near the door,
which is left open for them in
warm weather. The vines are
trained vertically to a height
of six or eight feet and the
growing fruit, suspended on the
vine above ones head present.
ed a novel sight and a profit
able one as well. Cukes sell at
$40 per dozen and tomatoes,
when ripe, will sell lor zoe per
pound.
Mr.. Pippel raises a large var
iety of garden truck for which
he gets good prices. Among the
vegetables grown are carrots,
parSnipS. radiShes, spinach h.
chard, etc. He cannot raise
corn, beans do not thrive, and
the growing of cabbage is a
story of a continuous battle
with root maggotS. I asked him
if many farmers start
ed growing vegetables, they
would not glut the market. He
replied that he had done so
himself. This may be an eXag-
geration but I think that five
good market gardeners would
raise all the truck that could
be sold within a marketable
radius.
Some of the colonlsts are in
debt to the Administration to
the extent of SIS 1000 to $4,000.
Mr.. Pippel owes $4,000 for
buildings and money advanced
for maintenance while the
ground was being cleared and
placed under production. He has
a large barn which cost $1,000
for which he has no use as he
has not an animal on the farm
even a chicken. All his
farming is done by gasoline
power. He says that stories of
phenomenal plant growth oW-
ing to the long days is all
bunk. Radishes which grow
to marketable size in the States
in twenty-five days take from
from thirty to sixty days up
here. It is true that the days
are longer but the slanting rays
of the sun must penetrate a
greater distance through the
atmosphere and this lessons the
power. The atmosphere absorbs
the violet rays but allows those
from the red side Of the spec
trum to pass thru more freely.
You have probably noticed
that the sun is redder at sun
set and at sunrise than when
higher in the sky.
Mr.. Plppel is prepared to pay
off what he owes but the Ad-
ministration has Instituted a
new contract, supplementing the
old, under which a settler can
not obtain title to his land
but must remain a tenant and
become a member or a COOP
erative community. I know no.
thing about the contract, its
merits or dement's but am told
that all but seven OF the colo
nistS have signed it. Pippel,
however, being an 1ndividuallst
and a non-conformist, wants to
go his own way and will prob
ably, in the end. take his earn
ings and buy a farm near An
chorage where he will be near
his market.
The project is often referred
to as holding good opportunities
for dalrying but it seems to me
that d%alrying would be carried
on under extreme difficulties.
Stock have to be dry fed for
eight or nine months of the
year. which necessltates the
raising of large quantities of
oats ar.> vetch hay. To grow
this, land must be cleared. which