Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], June 15, 1951, Page 18, Image 18

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

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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Farmers and railroads are
long-time "partners"
the biggest and most vital jobs
in America.
in one of
stronger
America!
The farmer grows the food, the
feed, and the fiber so basic to
the strength of the nation.
The railroads bring the farmer
his supplies and equipment—
and carry his products wherever
they are needed.
And these days, when national
rearmament is everybody's
biggest job, this <e partnership
takes on even greater
importance. For, as America's .
muscles" get bigger, its
appetite for almost everything
increases enormously.
»
American farmers are working
to produce the crops that will be
needed, come what may. And
the American railroads are
working with them and with all
of industry to move the things
the nation needs to keep it
prosperous and to keep it strong.
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AS«« 40
Listen to THE RAILROAD HOUR every Monday evening on NBC.
So'Is an J Crops
Poor Stands May Reflect
Condition of 1950 Seed
By RALPH MERCER
EVEN THOUGH in some areas, the
crested wheatgrass did not do as good
a job as usual in furnishing grass
prior to the time range grasses were
ready for grazing, it did the best it
could and in many cases, livestock
would have moved had it not been
available.
As I visited various sections of
the state this spring I found both
good and poor use being made of the
crested wheatgrass acreage. It was a
case of planned acreage and planned
use against acreage that was seeded
without utilization plant. It's nice, of
course, to see large acreages of this
grass growing early in the spring
when other grasses and vegetation
are still dormant, but it seems too
bad that it can't be converted into
meat and milk.
Where an acreage sufficient to
meet the early spring need is not
available on farm and ranch units,
it would seem a good stroke of busi
ness to plan now for seedings this
fall to make a more balanced feed
program on many of our farms and
ranches in the state. Even if seed
ings are made this fall it may be
several years before stands are suf
ficiently established for hard usage.
The main point is that the longer the
delay in making, the seedings—the
longer our livestock will be deprived
of this type of feed.
Poor Stands
prevalent this year than they
Poor stands of cereal crops were
more
have been for a long time. In many
cases it was due to a crusty layer
on the soil surface. In other cases it
was apparent that other factors were
responsible. While it is hard to be
sure of the reason for these weak
plants, it is pretty- generally agreed
that much of the trouble was from
weak seed.
There isn't much doubt but what
the factors involved in growing cer
eal plants in 1950 were responsible,
Of course, a lot of seed was used that
was frosted in early August last year,
Paw Gets the Weeds Under Control
53
^ COMSA.RH TH' OLE ^
Weeds — seems like
^THEY <SRoW "Bie^ER AM'
„ J 1 Ifhv THICKER THAM THE. y ,
T'i-W* l l «n~\ USED TO •
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HOT—THEM
f paw,th' Wtcns
ARE OUST A«ôoiM' „ ,
TO TAKE OU-R-Bia I
GrARDEM—WHY ^WjWTEHUrrl
dont You 6 \t u.qvr th' Hoe
TH' TRACTOR 1M ' EM ^
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Hi A PLANT or two—
m THESE ROWS WILL RE
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ÇIT DOME—OR i
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While this seed may or may not have
and even
though at the time it was tested for
germination it may have shown a
high percentage of live sprouts, still
by the time these kernels battled
with reduced soil moisture and some
resistance encountered by the sprouts
in making their appearance above
the ground, the food reserve was di
minished to a point where they had
to give up the battle.
Whatever the cause, it merely
stresses the point that there is no.
substitute for pure seed of good
strong germination.
Cultivation
shown frost damage,
It might be well at this period of
the growing season to again remind
growers of seed crops that there is
no substitute for good cultivation.
The vast majority of alfalfa and
grass seed producers realize this and
make it a definite part of their seed
They have
production practices.
learned that the place to clean the
resulting seed crop is in the field and
not over the cleaning machinery.
Producers of Ranger alfalfa for
seed are again cautioned that all
fields must be cultivated prior to in
spection.
This regulation voted by the di
rectors of the Montana Seed Grow
ers association at the last annual
meeting was made necessary because
of the different generations of seed
being produced. The primary object
of this regulation is to control volun
teer plants in the field. In the pro
duction of foundation, registered and
certified seed, any volunteer plants
growing in a field are of another
generation and can be numerous
enough to affect the value of the
seed.
While the cultivation can be made
following the clipping of the first
crop, where this is the practice, it is
much more satisfactory in the spring.
A good, deep cultivation in the spring
buries the shattered seed from the