FARMING 



Barley, oats, speltz and peas may all be grown nnder practically the 

 same conditions. The aim should be to i^row them on summer fallow or 

 corn land. The white hulless barley would seem to be especially well 

 adapted to ?\lontana conditions. Its best use is to provide food 

 Barley, Oats for livestock. The bearded barle3'S may be g-rown for malting 

 and Other uses. One of the best of these is the Mensary. Of the varieties 

 Grains. of oats the sixty-day is probably the best under austere con- 



ditions, but under average conditions no varieties have been 

 found superior to the Lincoln and the Swedish select. Speltz is well adapted 

 to dry conditions. It, like oats, is a food crop for livestock, and should be 

 given a place. There is also a place, especially in southern Montana, for 

 winter barley and winter emmer. The latter is susualK^ spoken of as speltz, 

 but experience in growing these is limited as yet. Peas sown early usually 

 given fair returns, and in the dry autumns that usually characterize Montana 

 these may be harvested by swine. The cost of harvesting may thus be 

 greatly reduced. Wlien peas are sown they should be planted deeply and 

 it is important that they shall be harrowed subsequent to sprouting and 

 before they have reached the surface. 



Potatoes do exceptionally well on the dry lands of ^Montana. This fol- 

 low's when they are planted on breaking or on stubble land. They do not, 

 of course, give yields so large as on irrigated land, but they grow so well 

 that the homesteader may easily grow potatoes for his own 

 Potatoes family the first year and of a superb quality. The Colorado 



Do Well beetle, that great potato scourge, is as yet practically unknown 



in This in ^Montana. 



Region. jj-i ^Jontana, where the elevation is less than 4,000 feet, 



corn is one of the most profitable crops that may be grown. 

 Even along the "high line" of the Great Northern Railroad the past season 

 good corn was matured of several varieties, including the Squaw, North- 

 western Dent and Minnesota No. 23. It would seem safe to say that where 

 the elevation is not more than 4.000 feet good crops of fodder 

 Corn is corn may be grown that will yield not less than tw'o tons pei 



Among the acre of dry fodder. This will be worth more than two tons of 

 Best Crops. ordinary hay, for it will contain much grain. In southern 

 Alontana corn may be grown for the grain as well as for the 

 fodder. In the Yellowstone valley as much as 100 bushels of corn have 

 been matured per acre on irrigated land. In many localities silos w'ill be 

 introduced in the near future. 



Under dry-land farm conditions corn is probably the best paying crop 

 that the farmer can grow. In many areas, e\en of northern AFontana, the 

 corn crop will average as much as 25 bushels per acre. In addition there 

 will be about two tons of cured fodder. For feeding, the corn should be 

 worth at least 50 cents per bushel to the farmer. The fodder should be 

 worth not less than $5.00 per ton. This means that the corn and fodder 



— Making money is hard work — but it is easier in Montana than anyivhere else. 



