42 



THIRD ANNUAL SESSIONS 



first year, however, all root crops, peas and beans should be drilled in 

 rows as they can be tilled. 



"By following out a system as above outlined, the new settler can 

 make good from the very first year, and by the third year he will be 

 ahead and ready to buy out his less provident neighbor, who is depend- 

 ing upon grain crops alone. 



Homestead Selection. 



"Now as to the selection of a homestead on which to locate. As 

 livestock is an essential to the highest success in farming in the semi- 

 arid belt, a location should be made adjacent to as much free range as 

 possible. Naturally this will take the settler into the more broken sec- 

 tions of the country, where he can find some smooth land, on the bench 

 or along some small stream, where small diversion dams may be put in 

 and flood waters turned out on small bottoms for orchard and garden, 

 thus insuring a comfortable home life, as plenty of domestic and stock 

 water is absolutely essential to success. 



Dry Farmed Fruits. 



"All kinds of small fruit and the hardiest varieties of apples and 

 plums do well on the bench lands of Montana, and there is no reason 

 why an industrial farmer should not live as well or better than the 

 average farmer in the corn belt. No more money is required to carry 

 out the plan as above outlined than would be needed to stock and run 

 a 160-acre farm in Iowa, Illinois or Wisconsin; and the net returns should 

 be greater from the very first year than they would be on a rented 

 farm in the com belt. 



First Year Returns. 



"Let us see what returns should be reasonably expected from 160 

 acres the first year. First, as to the amount of forage to be raised the 

 first year: 



"Twenty-five acres of Canadian peas cut for hay would yield five 

 tons per acre, making 125 tens, worth at the lowest $5 a ton, or $625. 

 Twenty-five acres of peas, left to ripen, would yield seed worth $375. 

 and some hay. Five acres of soy beans would yield seed worth $125. 

 Five acres of artichokes would yield, at a low estimate, 75 bushels, and 

 ten acres of potatoes would yield a similar amount. The fifteen acres 

 of tubers then would give 1,000 bushels, worth 50 cents a bushel, or $500. 



Yields of Root Crops. 



"Five tons to the acre would be a low yield for the root crops, and 

 as twenty-five acres were to be put in this character of crops, and 

 they are worth $5 per ton for feeding livestock, the roots alone would 

 give, say, $625. 



Cereal Yields. 



"The barley would yield twenty-five bushels on sod, making 625 

 bushels, worth 75 cents a bushel, or $400; and the ten acres of macaroni 



