Thorough Tillage System eor Plains oe Colorado. 23 
Prof. F. B. Linfield, Director State Experiment Station, Montana. 
Prof. B. C. Buffum, Professor of Agriculture, State University, Wyo. 
Prof. Luther Foster, Director Experiment Station, New Mexico. 
Prof. Lewis A., Merrill, Agronomist, Utah Experiment Station. 
Prof. T. L. Lyon, Agriculturist, Nebraska Experiment Station. 
Prof. A. M. Ten Eyck, Agriculturist, Kansas Experiment Station. 
Prof. Jas. Withycombe, Oregon Experiment Station. 
Prof. G. A. Crosthwait, Idaho Experiment Station. 
Prof. M. A. Carleton, United States Cerealist, Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, Washington, D. C. 
These answers show that summer culture is being practiced 
with considerable success. This plan contemplates making the 
soil a reservoir to hold sufficient moisture to grow a crop every 
other year. The rain fall in those portions of the western 
states where this system of farming is practiced varies from 10 to 
25 inches. Successful crops are being produced in both Utah and 
eastern Washington with the average rainfall near the minimum. 
It must be remembered that soil as well as climatic conditions quite 
largely determine the success of any system of farming. 
Director Linfield of the Montana Experiment Station says: 
“In certain sections of this State farming without irrigation is prac¬ 
ticed quite extensively. This is particularly the case in Gallatin Valley, where 
from 75,000 to 100,000 acres are farmed in this way. Probably a larger 
area than this is farmed near Great Falls and in the Flathead country around 
Kalispell. There is also quite a large area cropped without irrigation in other 
sections and very successfully indeed. We are at present trying to encour¬ 
age the extension of this method of farming in other parts of the State. Con¬ 
ditions look very favorable in the Bitter Root Valley, in the Judith Basin, 
and in the higher districts back from the Yellowstone river, both north 
and south. In the drier portions of the State the practice is to crop the 
land every second year only. In the Gallatin Valley this is particularly the 
case, fall wheat and fall rye being the crops. Around Great Falls and Flat- 
head spring crops are grown and the cropping is usually every year. It will 
depend of course to a certain extent upon the rainfall and climatic condi¬ 
tions which vary considerably in the different valleys of the State. 
“We have not experimented long enough to determine just exactly 
what preparation of the ground makes the best seed bed for dry land farm¬ 
ing conditions. I am inclined to think that with many of our farmers their 
practice is not the best. Where crops are grown every year, the land must be 
plowed in the fall and plowed deep, then cultivated in the spring just as early 
as possible or as soon as the land gets dry enough to work. This working 
is continued until the weather is warm enough to sow the crop. The time 
of sowing varies from the latter part of March to the first of May, depending, 
of course, on the climatic conditions in the lower and higher valleys. For 
fall crops, the land is usually plowed in the spring and then worked down 
immediately with the disc and drag harrow, and cultivated frequently during 
the summer to conserve the moisture and then fall wheat is sown usually 
about the first week in September. Some sow the latter part of August. 
Some do not sow until the early part of October, but the earlier sowing 
gives the best results as a rule. The average rainfall in our best dry farm 
districts is about 16 to 18 inches, varying of course with the different years. 
In this State no special tools have been introduced for the work of culti¬ 
vating. The disc and spring tooth harrow and the drag harrow are the 
only tools used in the cultivation of the ground. 
“In the Gallatin Valley, fall wheat and fall rye are the principal crops 
grown on the land. Around Great Falls spring crops are more generally 
grown, wheat, early oats, bald barley, and spring rye. Timothy hay and 
