Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], May 01, 1950, Image 1

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
ICAL SOClETr
^ONTAf^oy i 1950
1£LENA
O
* '
I
a
■ Vr
m
m
mmmt
m
■
?«
I
.
m
n
V'' :
One evidence of the success of the program is this comfortable nevr home.
Wheat, Cattle, Conservation
Make Balanced Program for Wyoming Operation
By JERRY LESTER
JOE PILCH, Sheridan county, Wyo
ming, farmer-stockman, didn't have to be
told the value of irrigated land to balance
his wheat and cattle operation. He had
rented the 2,800-acre farm for eight years
during which time it was all dryland pro
duction. In 1944 he bought the place and
one of the first things he did was to start
re-building a washed out diversion dam in
Prairie Dog creek that would allow him to
irrigate some 90 acres of creek bottom hay
land.
$1,600 Plus Labor
The new dam with head gate diversion
structure cost $400 plus Joe's labor in get
ting enough large boulders to push into the
creek. A 1 Va -mile long ditch was dug at a
cost of $1,200.
His plans for the future also call for in
stallation of an electric pump to lift water
onto another 130 acres of land above the
creek. Bringing water to the 90 acres of hay
land resulted in doubling his hay produc
tion. An alfalfa seed crop from about 40
acres netted him $90 an acre last year. He
is enthusiastic about seed production and
reports that in the last 15 years only two
I
;
l
—SCS Service Photo
Here's an easy way to take care of part of surplus wheat acreage and build a
better farm. This grassed waterway, seen in the center of the picture, is through
a wheat field on the Joe Pilch farm. It was seeded to alfalfa and brome grass,
which produces good hay and prevents gully erosion.
MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING
produced no alfalfa seed crop. He has about
200 acres of winter wheat on a 50-50 sum
merfallow basis.
Joe keeps 175 head of cattle on the ranch
and sells yearlings in the spring. The
range land includes about 2,300 acres and
is rotated with half used one year and the
other half the next. He has noticed a real
improvement in the grass since starting
this system and believes it well worth
while.
Stock Water. Gully Control Dams
There are also 10 combination stock wa
ter and gully control dams on the place,
created with the help of the Dutch Creek
Clear Creek soil conservation district and
conservationist J. Newton Scott. The SCS
also helped lay out ditches and design the
diversion dam for the irrigation system.
Spring calving pasture is obtained from
30 acres of crested wheatgrass. Another
conservation practice Pilch has turned to is
•stubble mulch tillage. He uses an offset,
disc once over to break down the stubble a
little in the fall and then again a couple
times in the summer before seeding it to
winter wheat again.
'
i
' 1
«
I:
L
J
A
f ■
3
m
m
'US
1 -
V
.a- mSWmSm
Another conservation practice Pilch has turned to is stubble mulch tillage. He
uses an offset disc once over to break down the stubble a little and take care
of weed growth in the fall. Usually two more operations in the summer control
the weeds without destroying too much of the stubble cover.
m
;
I
SWfeis «
■:ï :
rw
/
-• //
>
■jà
/
f
|
Joe Pilch. Sheridan County, Wyoming, farmer-stock
man« finds conservation practices step up his wheat
and cattle production.
-
w*
Wi
'■*
'JSm
' e
m
$
|
i
v": > :
•s ;
•>
Ip'S
V
V
4 m
4
-
m
* %
«
i
A diversion dam across Prairie Dog creek plus a
IVi-mile ditch enables Pilch to irrigate 90 acres of
bottom hay land. A planned pumping installation
will irrigate another 130 acres.
*