FARMING 



73 



not yet been solved. Homeseekers should avoid these lands in the mean- 

 time. Fortunately they do not embrace a large percentage of the lands of 

 Montana. 



The bench lands of ^lontana must be farmed on what is known as the 

 dry-land plan of farming. This is necessary because of the limited amount 

 of precipitation. In the whole State the average of the precipitation is not 



more than 15 inches per year. In some parts it falls as low 

 Dry- Land as 10 or 11 inches, and in others it reaches as high as 22 inches. 

 Farming. Near the foothills not distant from the base of the mountains, 



there is not infrequently more or less of seepage water in tlie 

 subsoil that proves greatly helpful to the growing of crops. Dry-land farm- 





iK 





Non-Irrigated Oats near Glasgow, 1913 



ing means the holding of moisture that falls in the soil until it can be 

 utilized by the growing crops. This is accomplished by plowing, packing, 

 harrowing and cultivating the soil at a certain time and in a certain way. 

 In plowing, the aim should be to break the land when it has the largest 

 aniount of moisture in it. Usually that will be in the spring from tlie 

 opening of the same until about the end of June. The aim should be to 

 plow not less than six inches deep. It may not be easy to do this in many 

 soils save by the aid of steam or gasoline power. To plow this deep will 

 call for four horses. If not more than three are available, the ground must 



— The railroads have to buy more cars to haul Montana crops. 



