Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], July 01, 1951, Page 7, Image 7

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

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Farm and Ranch Experiences
We Converted 195 Acres From • •
Sagebrush to Alfalfa
By JAMES T. MURPHY, Rosebud County
MY EXPERIENCE is quite limited,
but I have been very successful in
obtaining a really good stand of cer
tified Ranger alfalfa on 195 acres of
virgin sage brush land along the
Tongue river in Rosebud county on
the ranch holdings of the X Diamond
Bar Cattle Ço., owned by Mr. and
Mrs. Lyman Brewster, who are co
partners with me.
On July 7, 1949, we started clear
ing this land by having one tractor
push over cottonwood trees, and they
were considerable. On another trac
tor we put a 10-foot subsurface tiller
blade and set it to run about 2 to 3
inches under the surface, clearing
sage brush. But on the second day
we had to give up on the blade, as
it was so dry that year that we could
not get it to go into the ground.
. 42-Day Clearing Job
So on July 19, the two tractors
with dozers went to dozing sage
brush, trees, chokecherries, etc.
Nearly all of it had to be dozed 14
mile and some as much as % in
order to clean the field, but in about
42 working days we had the ground
cleared and ready for plowing.
All this land was disced twice with
a two-way disc behind which I pulled
an Australian harrow. It was plowed
with a 5-bottom mold board plow
9 inches deep and disced twice more
after plowing with a two-way disc
and harrow. We finished the last
time on Dec. 7, and that night it
froze up.
About April 10 we started float
ing. All of this land was floated three
times and about half of it four times,
and when the float left too smooth a
top surface, we sent a harrow over it
to leave a firm, well-packed, cloddy
mulch, not too large clods, about the
size of walnuts, if possible. This
eliminated the danger of surface
crusting in case of snow or rain. Al
falfa seedlings are quite delicate and
cannot penetrate much crust.
On April 17 we started planting.
We took the cultivator shoes and
arms off a two-row front mounted
cultivator and with a welding torch
cut an iron bar to fit across the beams
of each cultivator gang and hung a
vegetable planter on each bar, thus
making a two-row planter.
Seeded Too Much
The planter can be moved on the
bar to regulate the width of the rows.
We spaced ours to plant 42-inch
rows, and by using the smallest hole ■
in the smallest plate, it seeded at
the rate of %-pound per acre, which
iri our case proved to be twice too
much. We also treated our seed be
fore planting. Whether we received
any benefit from this, I don't know,
but we do know we got a perfect
stand, except that it is too thick
and will have to be thinned out this
spring by cross cultivation. Cross
cultivating will give us rows 42
inches each way, and that is what we
are striving for.
Due to the snow that came on the
weekend of April 22, and the rainy
weather for the first part of May, we
did not complete our planting until
May 26, and by that time the first
planting was quite weedy. Although
all of the 195 acres was cultivated
three times and some of it four times,
I was unable to keep up with the
weeds on the April seeding, while the
May seeding was clean at all times.
Mowed in July
The middle of July the entire acre
age was mowed, with the exception
of five acres. By mowing we hoped
to keep what weeds there were from
going to seed. The five acres we did
not mow we kept for an experiment.
We gave it the same cultivation that
the rest of the field received, plus
a hand hoeing to get what few weeds
there were in the rows,
May 22, and was no better or worse
than the balance of the acreage. We
cut this about the 10th of September
with a windrower. It was hand
shocked and combined out of the
shock and gave 133 pounds of clean
seed. Not a crop to crow about, but
one has to have a really good growth
This five acres was planted on
to give any seed at all the first year,
and we are very well satisfied with
the stand as it is today. In our opin
ion, the reason for the good stand we
obtained was due mainly to the
really good seed bed we were able
to obtain.
started planting. This included plow
* n S> discing, harrowing and floating,
Hi m y opinion, it does not pay to use
shot gun method of farming
Have your seed bed in as good a con
dition as possible, plant good seed,
1156 y our cultivator and you are
mighty apt to raise a crop now and
then.
Preparation Counts
In all, and not including the doz
ing or clearing of this land, we went
over the 195 acres 12 times before we
Our success to date on this venture
is due to several reasons—among
»4
*
/A
7 \
July 1 to 15
By OSCAR L. MOLDENHAUER
TYPICAL JULY WEATHER is the outlook for the next two weeks
in Montana and northern Wyoming. The first week is indicated to be
fairly cool and wet with showers occurring on several days and par
ticularly around Wednesday, the 4th.
* Showers and thunderstorms are expected to be the main source of
moisture and may result in a rather spotty distribution, but in general
sufficient moisture is likely during the fest week of July to boost the
spring crops along. The second week appears less favorable for mois- '
ture, but its warm, dry weather may be welcomed by those desiring to
make hay.
Weather Changes
The month is expected to begin with showers and cool weather, fol
lowed by a barometric disturbance and more showers to move east
ward across this forecast region from the 3d to the 5th. This looks like
a favorable time for a few days of showers, thunderstorms and a
moderate amount of moisture. Mild temperatures are due to set in and
continue to the end of the week.
Warm and fairly dry weather is indicated to begin about Sunday,
the 8th, and, except for probable thundershowers on Tuesday and
Wednesday, rather warm, dry weather is likely to continue through
Friday, the 13th. A disturbance with showers is indicated to develop
and cross Montana about Saturday or. Sunday for precipitation in var
ious amounts over the weekend. Montana should fare better than Wyo
ming for moisture at this time.
Precipitation and temperature: Average about normal.
July Weather Data
Driest
July
Dorrest
tor Inly
Normal
Temp.
Hiebest
lor July
Normal Wettest
Preeip. July
MONTANA—
Cent. Division 1.46
Bast. Division 1.60
W. ol Divide
0.29 (1917) 65.7* *117° (1937) *16* Cl*»)
0.38 (1917) 70.7'
0.12 (1917) 64.9'
4.05 (1915)
4.06 (1915)
3.12 (1902)
1.07
WYOMING—■
N. Central .. . 1.19 *2.86 (1937)
Northeast .... 1,79
•For the state. Not available by divisions.
•0.56 (1*17) 66.8* '114* (1900) '10' (1911)
tl-O"
them was my good fortune in being
affiliated with Mr. Brewster, and it
was his tractors and other heavy
equipment that made it possible for
me to clear this land and prepare the
proper seed bed that resulted in the
stand of alfalfa that we obtained.
Another big factor was the help and
advice that we received from our
local agent, Harley Roath, the Mon
tana extension service and Mr. Ralph
Mercer. This advice we certainly
appreciated and carried out to the
best of our ability.
We Find Bindweed
Can Be Controlled
By E. E. SCHELSKE
Big Horn County
FROM MY EXPERIENCE I firmly
believe that morning glory or bind
weed is controllable if surrounding
territory is not infested with them so
that the seed will be carried into
your fields by wind and water.
We have obtained a good kill by
spraying with about two pounds of
actual 2,4-D acid per acre after the
bindweed had emerged or mostly
all come out of the ground, or in
other words when they start to bloom
well. This is mostly in June. Then
we give another application in the
latter part of August for those which
come up later or have been missed.
Where grain was planted to the
infested area or field in the spring
we sprayed the grain with a solution
of 1% pints to 1 quart of 2,4-D when
the grain is 4 to 6 inches high. If
sprayed later it may set the grain
back considerably. This application
will kill most of the morning glory
and those that it doesn't kill it, will
set back enough that they won't go
to seed.
Then as soon as the grain crop is
harvested, spray with a two-pound
or two-quart solution in the stubble
and we have received a good kill
from such a method.
Sprinkling System
Makes Berry Crop
By ED UNE
Flathead County
WE HAD NEVER grown straw
berries but it looked as though they
should do well, as our land was full
of wild ones where the stumos were
not too thick.
We set 2,000 plants in the spring
of 1939 and, as our experience has in
creased with the years, we have gone
to strawberries almost exclusively.
In the early years we did not get
much per acre. Then we set on well-,
made ridges and mulched with saw
dust instead of straw. Our berries
seemed to grow and produce much
better.
Then it was the same old story—
lack of moisture. July and August
are usually dry months and to get
full prodùction we had to have rain.
The life blood of the berries was
flowing on our farm in the White
fish river. We visited the FSA of
fice in Kalispell and had a talk with
Russell Marsh, the supervisor then,
about irrigation.
The following summer we set up
our sprinkler system. We have ir
rigated for four years and we cer
tainly think it is a good investment.
We have a 6-inch main line with
4-inch sprinklers. We can make it
rain, where and as much- as we
want. We don't get the land water
logged in places and dry in places.
The water is evenly placed over the
field.
Pastures Provide
Grazing Plus Hay
By ERIFIN MOSER
Lincoln County, Wyoming
THE OLDEST of our three irri
gated pastures is now in its fifth
year. All are on land that took much
leveling to get them, into shape, but
the leveling and careful placing of
ditches paid out in reducing the work
and time needed for irrigating. All
pastures are watered every 12 days.
The ditches on the first pasture of
4% acres are laid out across the slope
so that the water from the top ditch
runs down to a second ditch and is
picked up to be spread below.
The mixture used in this pasture
includes 7% pounds of smooth brome
grass, 7% pounds of orchard grass,
5 pounds of timothy and 5 pounds of
white Dutch clover. The first year
we did nothing with the field,.but in
the second year we put in 4 head
of stock (one cow and three yearling
heifers) from June to September and
then cut 7 tons of hay. Last year,
the fourth year, the pasture carried
5 heifers from June to November, 10
cows at night from June 1 to Sept.
15 and 2 horses for 3 months.
We have applied barnyard manure
and 50 pounds of superphosphate per
acre every three years.
Another pasture of 2 acres was
planted in 1949 to 10 pounds of white
Dutch clover and 15 pounds of straw
berry clover. The first year we did
nothing with it—almost gave it up
as being nothing but what it looked
like, a perfect stand of fan weed, but
last year we pastured it with 91 little
pigs plus 14 brood sows from July to
October.
The third pasture of 30 acres was
planted Just last year on gravelly
bench land that took extensive level
ing. We took seven stacks of hay
off the 30 acres last fall.