Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-07-16

rious federal and civic agencies. =
group Of northeastern Valley e@esx-
ty farmers have demonstrates
what can be dene through co-an-
erative community acta0m in eess-
trolling bad soil blowing condition
! that was threatening farms In =
large area, says Charles e. JaKrekx.
/ county extension agent.
Through their cooperative action
these farms carried out strip Msksna
operations on total Of 5000 acres arc
It Is estimated that this work will con-
troll soil blowing over q total area 81
more than 1900 acres. Assisting these
farmers we're the county AAA commit
Tee, Montana Extension service. soil
conservation service, and various civic
groups and private individuals IN the
county.
This area In which erosion had be-
come such a serious problem was set
tied between 1911 and 1914. Since that
time it had experienced soil drifting Of
varying degrees. Contributing TO this
condition we're number Of factors In
Guiding improper land use, poor TIM
age methods, and shotgun" farming.
Another important factor In the mis-
use OF the land was absentee owner
ship.
Condition was Aggravated
With one crop failure following an-
other, farmers In this bad blow area
became desperate and attempted 10
cover as much acreage as possible with
their limited finances in the hope Of
producing crop and eventually es-
tablishing themselves on a more sound
basis. However, such practices tended
TO aggravate the wind erosion condi-
ton. It was also observed that the
erosion control work done by 3 few
farmers was offset by soil blown from
Ffff4fNfa
done.
The area was badly whipped by wind
in 1887, climaxed by q hail storm that
left the ground stripped of vegetation
That fall the county was divided into
districts and agricultural planning
committees were set up. Three men
were elected from each of the two dis
TO serve as the planning committee.
The next step was the holding OF a |
series of meetings to discuss the ero-
sion problem and work out some meth |
Cd Of combating It, This work was
aided by the county AAA committee, |
and representatives Of the soil con- /
servation service, farm credit admins
trati0n, and extension service.
Out of these meetings came q volln- |
tary association whose members agreed
TO carry out a strip cropping and soil
conservation program. High winds dur
ing the last of March this year and
the early part of April, however, made
the individual farmers efforts futile.
It was apparent that the Job was too
big for anything but community action
and that some outside assistance would
De necessary.
Program Is Drawn Up
Jarrett contacted various land own
ng agencies and others to obtain fl
1ancial help in carrying on an ex-
.enSive control program. Responding to
MS call were the Glasgow Chamber Of
Commerce, Federal Land bank, Hollam
Land Co., Farmers Realty CO., Valley
county commissioners, Farmers Union
Dill Co., and the soil conservation serv-
ce.
At a meeting held last April at the
Sunnyside school in the southern pOr-
ion of the blow area, a cooperative
program OF strip listing was presented
Inder which farmers would be sup
llied with listers provided they would
AIRY out the listing program under the
supervision Of the Montana extension
erVice and the soil conservation Serv-
&c. Approximately rs percent OF the
armerS attending signed an agreement
o that effect.
On April IS actual listing operations
we're begun with five listers at work,
wo OF which were furnished by the
OAA N1AAoC4 f6bASAA rCA t4S( tsAANA tAAI ObAAN& !
hree rented from private owners. By
he end Of the week eight listers were
working and before the job was COM
,Ieted IL machines were In operation.
n addition 10 supplying listers, the
oil conservation service assigned II. w.
Siek, conservatio to assist In super
ling the work.
5000 Acres Listed
Listing was started on basis Of SOL
eet of crop and 80 feet of listing.
Practically all Of the listing ran north
nd south or southeast to southwest.
| few of the most severely eroded
ields required solid listing. After the
7orst part Of the blow area had been
sted In this manner, the strips were {
to so feet Of listing and SO
eet of crop.
Neighbors co-operated to list one /
4O-acre tract of abandoned land In
rider to protect surrounding farms. |
Gasoline, fuel and oil were provided {
Or this purpose and each farmer do {
ated his own time and tractor to COM
lete the job.
BY May is these cooperative activi- 2
les were completed with q total OF 2
900 acres listed which viii control z
bill blowing on q total area Of more
nan $1,000 acres. Listing costs, INCLUDE
1g rental, repair bills, fuel, trucking
nd other expenses, amounted to about (
2 cents per acre listed, Jarrett said. q
With practically all Of the land sub {
sct to wind erosion listed, farmers are ]
ecoming more enthusiastic about this ]