Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], August 01, 1951, Page 16, Image 16

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

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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350 to 400
boles on hour
HOUR after HOUR!
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Farmers' Favorite for '51 When it cömes to top
capacity performance—sustained performance—
there's no baler to match New Holland's "77"!
With it you can pick up and twine-tie hay
from the windrow at the raté of up to 10 tons
an hour . . . with just one man on the job.
The "77" gives you many extras. Bales are
tied under compression. They're firm—
won't buckle or fray. Inverted anti-clog
knotters clean themselves—tie hundreds
|Mgp of bales without a miss. Roll-away
PH bale chute allows closer windrowing.
When you think of balers,
remember New Holland's rugged
"77"— the highest capacity baler
on the market.
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HEW HOLLAND
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If you're thinking of baying •
New Holland baler, don't wait,
order it now. You won't make a
mistake—and you'll be sure to
have it when haying starts.
New Holland Certified Twine
The United States Testing Co. has awarded its Seal of
Approval to New Holland for meeting its rigid standards
of uniformity, quality and strength. Farmers everywhere
agree: there's no better twine at any price.
New Holland
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First in Grassland Farming
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NEW HOLLAND MACHINE COMPANY, NEW HOLLAND. PA.
A Sabtidiary of Thm Spmrry Corporation
Minneapolis • Do« Moins« • Kan««« City • Brantford, Ontario
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Check the catalog you wish and mail
I coupon to: New Holland Machine Company
2408 Ash St., New Holland, Pa.
□ Twine-Tie Baler
□ Wire-Tie Baler
□ Forage Harvester—
Row Crop or Hay Unit
Name
j. Street or RFD
Town
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□ Side Delivery Rake
□ Tractor-Mower
□ Portable Tractor Saw |
□ Forage Blower
□ Farm Wagon
Q Baler Twine
□ Baler Wire
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-Acres Farmed?
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Mel Thunem. Daniels county, his assistant irrigator, son Gary, and the pumping
unit Thunem uses to irrigate 60 acres of alfalfa and Huntley mixture. (MF-S photos)
From Grain to Grass
Daniels County Farmer Pumps
From a Sump to Water Alfalfa
By JERRY LESTER
ALFALFA is a rare commodity
in Daniels county where nearly all
the cropland is in dryland spring
wheat. But Mel Thunem always
liked livestock and never had much
faith in straight wheat farming.
So it didn't take much encourage
ment from Art Carter, the county
agent, to make him decide to start '
growing alfalfa. Especially when Bill
Woodcock, FHA supervisor, ex
plained how it was possible to obtain
a low interest government loan to
buy the sprinkler system necessary
for irrigation.
The availability of a dragline op
erated by a local contractor. Bob
Severance, played an important part
in the development, too, because the
source of water is a man-made sump
hole near the farmstead that is filled
by water passing through gravel
strata.
One of the greatest points of satis
faction for county agent Carter, as
he looked over the new alfalfa fields,
was remembering that the same land
was nothing but "blowing sand
hills" in 1949. Up to this time, the
350 acres on the farm had been in
wheat and some 40 head of cows
were run on leased range land.
Shift to Livestock
Thunem now plans to enlarge his
livestock operation to about 200 head
instead of the 95 (including calves)
he has now. And he will get out of
the cash grain business with only
some oats, com and barley seeded
in strips for feeding the stock. He
may need more grazing land, but
this problem could be solved in the
future by using the sprinkler system
on some land suitable for irrigated
pasture.
Sixty of the 320 acres are under
irrigation now and in alfalfa. Plans
are to have a full 100 acres in alfalfa.
Mew Holland Machinery
Distributed By
Midland Implement Co.
Billings, Montana
Registered Ladak was seeded last
year on 35 of the 60 acres and the
other 25 is in Huntley pasture mix
ture that was seeded in 1949.
At the time of this visit Thunem
was about ready to take the first
cutting of hay off both fields. He
hoped to get from 1% to 2 tons to
acre - The registered Ladak
alfalfa would then be irrigated and
left for a seed crop. Another cutting
or even two was considered likely
from the mixed hayland. With al
falfa hay selling for $33.50 a ton lo
cally (and up to $45 in 1949), he is
not worrying about getting rid of
what he doesn't need for his live
stock.
Thunem has been selling his com
mercial Hereford calves off the
range, but with plenty of hay as
sured he may start selling yearlings
in the spring and possibly do a little
winter feeding. About 30 Bead of
purebred Palomino saddle horses are
also kept on the place as a sideline.
Irrigation System
with the 22-foot deep sump hole
excavated near the farmstead. The
job was done with a dragline at a
The irrigation system really starts
cost of $780. The underground water
flow into the hole makes it possible
to pump continuously for 10 hours
but plans are to double the size of
the sump to be sure of enough water.
The pump used is a 5-inch unit built
in with a 110 h. p, V-8 industrial
engine.
The sprinkler system consists of a
half mile of 6-inch main line and
a half mile of 4-inch lateral line—
all aluminum pipe. Revolving type
sprinkler heads are used. Moves are
made down the field every 60 feet
Thunem can move both laterals in
about one hour with the help of
assistant irrigator Gary, (7), who
unsnaps the couplings.
Total investment in the irrigation
system, including the sump hole,
pump and sprinkler pipe, was $7,000.
This investment was made possible
through an FHA water facilities loan
designed to be self-liquidating in 10
years.