19^ MONTANA 19H 



that this output will continue to grow smaller for several years. It is 

 admitted on all sides that Montana is now in the transitory stage as regards 

 the beef cattle industry, but those who have given the subject thought 

 unhesitatingly declare that within a few years Montana will regain its pres- 

 tige as a great producer of beef, although to do this means the production 

 of cattle on an entirely different basis than tha't of the past. 



The open range is what was known as the range country, viz., eastern 

 Montana, is now gone and will never return. The range of the future will 

 unquestionably be found in the mountainous areas of the State where land 

 is too hilly or too rocky to be cultivated, but where it is capable 

 The Open of yielding excellent service as pasture. Much of this remain- 

 Range a ing range is to be found in the national forests, and its use 

 Thing of will, of course, be limited to the number of cattle which in the 

 tihe Past. judgment of the forest experts can be maintained in each in- 

 dividual unit. Discussing this phase of the question. Dr. F. B. 

 Lin field, director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, recently 

 said : 



"To get the most from, this range pasture, it should have intelligent management. 

 Experience and experiment prove that such intelligent management will practically 

 double the pasture from the ranges. Intelligent management is not possible without 

 some kind of control, the kind of control that is only possible under either private 

 ownership, local co-operative management, or state or federal management. 



"Before any plan of management could be put in operation it would be neces- 

 sary to make an agricultural survey of the range country, so that the character of 

 the cojmtry could be determined and the limits of the farm and range country defined. 



"Some new legislation by congress should be enacted that 

 Control of would permit of some of the methods of control and management 



, .p suggested above, to be applied to large tracts of pasture land under 



the Kanges Qug management. 



Is JMecessary. "Definiteness as to the control and use of the pasture area is as 



necessary to the success of the live stock industry as definiteness in 

 the control of the farm land is to the farm industry. 



"If to this we add the thought that with intelligent management the pasture area 

 may be made to grow practically double the feed, we see at once the very great im- 

 portance to the country of working out these problems thoroughly and correctly. 



"The farm lands of Montana are adapted to two distinct kinds of farming, the 

 valley and the river bottom lands, much of which are or will in the future be irri- 

 gated, and the higher bench lands which either surround these valleys or are on the 

 divides separating the river valleys. Between these valleys of irri- 

 Feed for gable land and the higher plateaus are large areas of broken lands, 



Millions; of TO^Sti. hilly or mountainous, suitable only for grazing. They are so 

 minions oi gjtuated that for the most of the country they could be best used by 

 Head of becoming the summer pastures of the farmers on the adjoining farm 



Livestock, lands. 



"These facts at once suggest the place for the cattle industry. 

 The wonderful farm development of the state within the past few years has changed 

 materially the market conditions of the Montana farmer. Up to within recent years 

 the farms of this state did not, as a rule, produce enough grain and forage to supply 

 the local demands. As a result, farmers frequently got eastern prices plus the 

 freight for their bulky crops. That condition has passed, I believe, never to return. 

 From this time on the prices received will be eastern prices less the freight. This 

 will mean much cheaper feed than in the past. 



"To maintain the productiveness of the irrigated lands and to get the high yields 

 that the use of water makes possible and necessary, the leguminous crops must have 

 a larger place on such lands. I believe that at least a half of the cultivated irri- 

 gated area should each year be growing such crops as alfalfa, clover, peas or simi- 

 lar soil, enriching crops. This means a large amount of roughage that can only find 



-The time to come to Montana is now, while land is cheap and the state is growing. 



