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About The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973 | View This Issue
The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.), 23 Jan. 1925, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn86075229/1925-01-23/ed-1/seq-5/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
Friday, Januar> 1025. THE HARDIN TRIBUNE HERALD Page Five. 4 ( SUMMER FALLOWING AND DOVERSOIFICATION BRING SUCCESS TO THE DRY LAM AGROCULTURAL11STS OF HILL cOUNTY AREA (By WALTER P. BRITTAN) iT 0 THE best of my knowledge there has never been a real I failure or (famine season), in l the 48 years I have lived in the country,\ said L. K. Devlin,1 county, tired army officer, farmer and business man of Havre, l Montana. \I came to Montana in the service of the government, in 1879, and was stationed at Fort Aseinniboine, just seven aniles south of the present city of Havre I have lived here ever since, and during all those years of varying seasons, conditions always have been favorable to the raising of garden stuffs. I cannot recall a sing- le failure. \Back in 1886 I can recollect what I believe to have been the worst year I have ever seen, but I also remem- ber that we raised enough vegetables and other things to feed the entire garrison which, at that time, com- prised around 1,200 men.\ Mr . Devlin's statement is borne out by statistics. A chart compiled from figures taken at the govern- ment station at Havre, and covering a period of 45 years, shows rainfall sufficient to have produced the fol- lowing results on farm gardens. Gardens would have been a corn parative failure in only two years, 1890 and 1919. They would have been medium to good in eight years, good in 15 years and exceptionally good in 16 years. The actual aver- age rainfall covering this entire per- iod of _45 years is slightly above 11 Inches per annum. Martin G. Austin's Place. \If a farmer comes to Hill county with a willingness and energy to work, reasonable equipment and fi- STACKS OF HEADED WHEAT on the W. L. Robbins farm, west of Havre. Mr. Robbins Is specializing in the raising of Early Heart Spring wheat and finds it profitable. He sin:inner fallow a all his wheat land, and believes that this method not only insures annual yields, but increases the yield per acre of his lands. He recently mar keted a shipment of his wheat at $2.00 per bushel, - above our living expenses we save. We do not want to sell the farm as this country has done well by us. I do not know of any other place where I could have gone, and, with a. start of $200, done better in lo years than I have done here. It surely beats payrng all yalir earnings to a landlord for rent. - - This country is all right. We are c,pntent, and we hope to do a lot bet- ter in the next 10 years than we have done in the past.\ Experiences of Others. Arthur Saunders came to the Havre country in 1909 and home- steaded a piece of land five miles southwest of Havre. Mr. Saunders had very little money when he start- ed his farming operations; in fact, he was what he termed \broke\. By careful intelligent work and lots of it, he gradually accumulated milch cows and other livestock, doing mix- ./ ed farming on a very small scale Today his farm is improved, with excellent buildings and other refine- ments. He is milking 20 cows, feed- ing 50 cattle and a carload of hogs. A large flock of fine poultry is also adding to his revenue, and it is worthy of note that as this article is written, (January 10), eggs are bringing 75 vents a dozen cash in Havre. Mr. Saunders also has the distinction of owning one of the first silos in Hill county, and has filled this from his own corn fields since it was built five years ago. J. W. Prentice, who is a bachelor, tesiding 15 miles northwest of Havre, has established a record hard to beat. Using summer fallow meth- ods exclusively, he has gained an ac- tual average of 25 bushels an acre Winter rye is a big favorite with for wheat covering the la„st nine and homesteaded the land on which he now lives. Ile was the first man in that section of Montana to start a system of summer fallow; that was as early as 1913 . When he arrived in Hill county he had $5,000 in cash, and has supported his family, and has built and comfortably furnished a nice home. Mr. Austin and his son are now farming between five and six hundred acres of land He now own - S . - five quarter sections (8 . 013 acres, with 400 acres in crop and 200 acres In summerfallow in 1924, the remainder being devoted to grazing. Besides his land, buildings and ma- chinery, Mr. Austin has a herd of 30 head of cattle and recently purchased a purebred Shorthorn bull, twe nances, he is bound to succeed, if he Shorthorn cows and a calf. He has THIS SHELTERBELT, which is on the E. C. Carruth farm in Hill county, is six years old. Trees of the right type grow readily in this county, and homesteads are transformed in a short time. follows approved methods,\ contin- ued Mr. Devlin. \You do not need to take my word for it—the proof is here Take Mar- tin G. Austin, known as 'father of the shelterbelt'. An inspection of his farm reveals a beautiful home al- most surrounded by a two -acre grove of largo trees of many varieties, all grown on dry land without irriga- tion. \In the large garden are found raspberries, strawberries, cherries and plums which Mrs. Austin puts up each season to supply their winter needs, the home canning being much superior to that bought at the store Besides keeping them bountifully supplied wit hall kinds of vegetables, the garden brings in considerable cash. Early in the fall season of last year they had sold over $200 worth and at that time had 2,500 head of cabbage yet. to dispcse of of. Mr. Austin came to Hill county 18 head of horses, 200 chickens, 80 turkeys; 'and two much cows furn- ish the milk and butter supply for the home. His 1924 wheat crop was vbout 4,000 bushels. Recently he made the last payment on his land, and has now accumulated from the original investment of $5,000, about $20,000 worth of property. \Mr. Austin believes in the future of Montana as a farming state and thinks that good livestock is the back-bone of the large Montana ranches, and he is now working to- ward that end. He is an ardent be- liever in summer fallow, and a diver- sified system of farming, with. a pas- turage system that introduces a large acreage of sweet clover. His home is in the Minneota community in the northwestern part of Hill county, where he is considered a leader in approved methods of diversified farming in northern Montana.\ Railroad Development. Looking back over the early his- measu ent sys 'HEAT IS A PROFITABLE CROP in Hill county, and the greatest of success has been had by those farmers who practice a consist - of summer tillage. RADIO Complete With Built -In Speaker all batteries and Antenna $260.60 To Montana Electric Company, 60 East Broadway, Butte, Mont. I am Interested in Radio and would like to have you send your free Radio Booklet. tory of Hill county, we find that the Great Northern railroad completed its line into Havre in 2'887, and in the same year laid steel from Havre to Helena, which at that time was also the terminus of the Northern Pacific railroad. The line from Havre to Helena was called the Mon- tana Central. Four years later, or in 1891, work was started on the extension of the free west from Havre to the Pacific coast. It was during this year that Havre was first officially named, which act was performed by an of- ficial of the railroad, and in honor of Havre, France. Also in this same year, the government townsite of Havre consisting of 80 acres, was of- ficially opened for the sale of lots, and the town at that time had a pop- ulation fluctuating between three and four hundred . The country surrounding Havre was also opened to settlement and from 1891 . to 1910, it was Ibii - home of many ranches, many large, and others small. The advent of the farmer and ac- tual farming operations, commenced with the year 1910, and this country secured most of its population dur- ing the years immediately following that date. Havre today has a population of 6,500; is a thriving hustling city, and the county seat of Hill county. It is the largest town in Montana on the transcontinental line of the Great Northern railroad. Havre is metropolitan in both ap- pearance and action. Its wholesale and retail business districts are most effectively represented irf all lines. Its residential sections are graced with beautiful homes, and stately trees. Havre is fortunate in the posses- sion of 11 churches, the Salvation Army, and a division of the American Red Cross employing a paid secre- tary Schools and Other Institutions. Eight school buildings are found within the Havre district, and 64 districts and 76 school re located within Hill county. The Ilesage high school, which is fully accredited, is one of the best educational institu- tions in Montana Standard junior high and the grade schools are also efficiently instructed. The Havre public schools are at- tended by 1190 pupils, one parochial school has 320 scholars. This is a total of 1510. The rural schools in Hill county are attended by 2,564 children who are under the instruc- tion of teachers with high qualifica- tions. These schools, 76 in number, are advantageously located through- out the County. Among Havre's many modern in- stitutions, are a creamery, flour mill, three grain elevators, a brick yard, stockyards and four wholesale oil companies. The Havre community is fortun- ate indeed, in having a natural gas field, undoubtedly covering the greater part of the county. Gas has been developed in nearly all direc-. tions, and the citizens of the town. as well as some of those in the coun- try, use this \boon to the housewife\ for cooking and heating. Worthy of mention, also is the fact that semi- butiminous coal of exceptionally fine quality is found in abundance in this section. It can be mined by the farmer, or purchased delivered to the cellar in town or in the country. Located at old Fort Assinniboine seven miles south of Havre, is the Northern Montana Agricultural Ex- perimental sub -station . Hero exper- mental work in both plant and am- inel life is carried on. and the Farm bureaus of Blaine, Choteati, Hill. Liberty, Phillips, Pondera, Liberty. Teton and Toole counties all meet it this place for enlightenment on farm problems. The Weather Records. \Havre is not the coldest spot in the United States,\ said R. G. Line- berger, secretary of the Hill coun- ty Development association. \Fort Assinniboine, and later Havre, has been the location of the United States weather bureau for the last 45 years Storms that originate, either north- west or northeast, are first recorded at the Havre bureau, and their pro- gress and probable destination is flashed from this point all over the country. Owing to the origin of these reports, it seems that many people are under the impression that the cold waves originate here and are . more severe here than in other sections, hut that Is far from the truth. The fact is, the actual mean temperature of Havre for the last 4 r. veers is warmer than that recorded by the weather bureau at St. Paul. Minn In fact, I guess that a search for the theoretical cold spot of the United States would result in its be- ing found outside of 'the state of Montana entirely . \ The Havre tourist park is one of the flneat Institutions of its kind in Montana, and thousands of tourists annually avail themselves of its fa ditties. A sporty, nine -hole golf 1 course is also open to the traveler. Hill County this year is marketing a wheat crop of more than 3,500,000 bushels. Seven carloads of turkeys have already been shipped from Havre by the Hill County creamery. These seven carloads have netted Hill county growers $50,000, it is claimed. Havre is a division and district point, as Well as the junction of the principal Montana branch of' the Great Northern railroad system. Water is *abundant and excellent all through the Havre community.\ Ten miles south of town and ex- tending along Beaver creek for a distance of eighteen miles is Beaver Creek National park. This is a national park and playground owned by the federal government, and set aside for public use for all time. It is a truly beautiful, scenic and rest- ful place where all outdoor recrea- tion may be enjoYed. Wonderful frouf fisting is available /we. The Havre business men have been re- sponsible for the grading of a road from Havre to the park. Progressive Newspapers. Havre has three newspapers, one daily and two weeklies. Thee are The Havre Daily Proinotcr and The Weekly Promoter, both edited by R. 0. Lineberger, and the Hill Coun- ty Democrat which is under the di- rection of C. G. Bishop, editor and publisher. These publications thor- oughly cover their respective fields. The agricultural and industrial success of the Havre country has been attended by earnest and con- scientious efforts of three organiz- ations. The Hill County Develop- ment association is exactly what its name implies, and the officers and members of this civic body are ever ready to serve the interests of the farmer and producer. Its officers are as follows: President, William Kendig: vice president, W. G. Mc- Kelvy; secretary, R. ,G. Linebarger; directors, F. A. Buttrey, Robert Lucke, J. P. Grady, Walter Alford, Phillip Jestrab, and L . K. Devlin. The Rotary club and the Kiwanis club are both excellent, energetic and live organizations, and also ask to share the problems of the new- comer. The notary club is headed by J. P. Grady, president and Ar- thur D. Williams, secretary; and the Kiwanians by A. C. Dale, president, and Paul Moody, secretary. Hog raising has only recehtly been undertaken in Hill county. Two years ago hogs were shipped into Hill county for local consumption. In 1923 records show that only two carloads of hogs were billed out of the county . The year 1924 wit- nessed a wonderful progress, both in the raising and marketing of hogs, there having been Mere Than thirty carloads shipped from Hill county during last year. The Hill county marketing asso- ciation, of which Leon McNicol is manager, has rendered valuable ser- vice in assisting in the marketing of all kinds of livestock. A great deal of credit is also due E. B. Duncan, county agent for Hill county, who has offices in Havre, and whose work has been evidenced along approved lines, beneficial re- sults being much in evidence in all parts of the county. ' No Haphazard Achievements. Agricultural success in Hill coun- ty is by no means haphazard, nor is It due to good or bad luck. There are countless incidents of not only occasional, but of continued suc- cess, year after year. These results are worthy of consideration; and a few of these are herewith record- ed. The address of any of these farmers will be gladly forwarded to any address by the Hill County De- velopment association . John Nabor had $200 in cash when he homesteaded 14 miles east of Havre in 1912 . He came to Amer- ica from Germany where, as a young man, he had received a high school education and worked as a farm laborer for several years. In 1922 his inventory farm value was $8,000. Most of this capital Mr. Nabor has accumulated since 1915, as, during the first few years he worked for wages on neighboring farms to get enough money to hire breaking and to buy teams. Mr. Nabor Is a good example of a diversified farmer. v.orking out his own system of diversification by means, of knowledge of his own con- ditions. His farm is perhaps below the average in natural qualities, and in a country where there is consid- erable gumba, heavy soils and buf- falo wallows. Ile owns 400 acres and rents 960 acres for patsure, paying taxes as pasture rent Last year he cropped 141 acres, enjumer fallowed 40 acres and pasture 1179 acres. Crops in 1921 on e Nabor farm were: Three tons of McTder from six acres of corn, an averag of six bush- els on 50 acres of spring wheat (cut worm damage bad); an average 010 bushels on 26 acres of oats; an av- erage of 10 bushels on 60 acres of iye; average one-half ton prr acre on 15 acres of millet. Livestock—Six work horses, four Shorthorn milk cows, two brood sows, 14 pigs, 150 chickens. Farm Sales—Cream $650, six fat cattle $280, four fat hogs $140, eggs a100, live poultry $250, crop $481, total sales and other income $2,518, Crop History—Average production of wheat per acre by years: 1914, crop cut for hay; 1915, 32 bushels; 1916, 30 bushels; 1917, 10 bushels; 1918, 8 bushels; 1919, two and one - bait bushels; 1920, four - 1400s. Summary—Inventory value $7464, receipts $2578, current expenses $786, farm income $1732, labor in- conte $1284. GARDEN SCENE on the Martin 0. Austin farm in Hill county. All of this garden was grown without irrigation, though it is Mr. Austin's belief that the shelterbeit provides additional moisture. Mr. Nabor. It is a cheap dependable years This last year, 1924, he won crop which does not kill out in win- second prize for high yearly yield ters, he says. It can be drilled in per acre. His field averaged 38 stubble or put on summer fallowed bushels. land . He thinks it pays to put some rye on summer fallow. He feeds rye hay to work horses and milk cows and feeds ground and soaked rye to the hogs. \Rye will be to the diversified farmer of Montana as corn is to the f.g.11 farmer of Illinois,\ says Mr . Nabor. He started with one S rthorn cow and now has ten, a stra t in- crease. He manages to have his cows freshen in November or De- cemner so as to milk them during the winter. . He says that he would rather grow feed and raise stock than to depend entirely upon wheat. His plans are to raise from 50 to 100 W, L. Robbins came to the Havre country five years ago and purchas- ed land about 25 miles northeast of town. Mr. Robbins- has- followed wheat farming almost exclusively, and has used summer fallow meth- ods with great success. He special- izes in quality wheat, producing the selected Early Baart and Marquis varieties. Early this month he sold the first car of his 1924 crop. This wheat which tested better than 16 per cent protein, netted Mr. Robbins exactly $2 per bushel. Oscar Erlandeon, framing a tract about 20 miles west of Havre fur- nishes a striking example of paying SHELTERBELT mound the farm buildings Martin 0. Austin in Hill county, Trees and shrubbery not only make homes on the prairie more pleasant, but they aid in moisture conservation. acres of wheat on summer fallowed the cost of a farm with one year's or corn land in the future, and says output. Mr. Erlandson, with the that -corn does well with him, help of one soh, put in 440 acres of There is an excellent shelter belt wheat last spring, and last fall he on the Nabors -farm and there never threshed out friore than 10,000 bu- has been a garden failure. He raises shels, an average of almost 25 bu- good potatoes each year and has a shels to the acre This one year's fine strawberry patch under irriga- tion. crop pays the cost of the land and improvements and leaves a balance \We have farmed on the princi- besides. pie of first making a home,\ he D. A. Couch, who owns and farms says . \What we make over and (caniiiiiirsi ea Agricultural Page.) — HEADING WHEAT on the I. 'Robbins farm, 23 miles west of Havre.- Mr. Robbins field a car of beat from this field on Jan. II, 1923, which netted him $2 a bushel •
