Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-05-18

not be excelled, interspersed with high, roll
ing platteaus, affording free pasture to any
who have stock to eat it. This region en-
braces from 1000 to 1000 square miles, and
at present, there are but a dozensor two
ranches located on it, which are near the
head of the valley. North of this, running
eastward, are the Blue and Little Snowy
ranges of mountains. These ALSO, afford
timber and water in abundance The only
drawback to this country, is its being upon
the frontier, and unprotected from raids OF
hostile Indians yet no raids OF a serious ma
ture have occurred. But the establishment
of the post on the Yellowstone at the mouth
of the Big Horn, will render life and proper
ty as secure here as it is any place, and con-
.sequently, this region will settle up rapidly.
Northward. through the gap, between the
Blue mountains and the Little Snowies, we
come out upon the Judith Basin. This is
also an immense tract of country, beautiful
as ever the eye beheld. There is more rain
here than in other portions of Montana.
Still, if this fail, nature has furnished a good
supply of water that can be turned Oh much
of the land with little effort. Passing down
the Judith and it's tributaries, we leave the
mountains behind, and timber gets farther
and farther away. This country as well as
the Muscleshell, has been surveyed, and
much of it is laid down as first-class agricul-
tural land. Stock winter well here, as IN
deed they do in most of the valleys Of Mon
tana but the Muscleshen being quite windy,
is known far and near as having had less
snow lying upon it in winter, than any 9th
er valley in the whole Territory. There is
no settlement, except a trading post at Camp
Lewis, on the Judith. Coal of excellent quail
ity, equal to Brierhifl coal of Pennsylvania,
has been found on the Muscleshell and Jul
dith, but little work has yet been done to de-
velop the extent of the deposits. Eastward,
between these grassy plains and the Mis-
souri, river, is a belt of country from twenty
to thirty miles in width, known as the Bad
Lands" This is a kind of sand and lime
formation of a grey color, almost barren Of
vegetation, and issthe only land in the coun-
ty that is not valuable.
Thus we have given a brief outline Of the
principal valleys and mountain ranges of the
county, without entering into the details of
mentioning the different cozy locations OF
tributaries that put into the different streams,
etc.
One acquainted with o mountain country,
can, from what we have said, form some
idea of the general surface of this section.
This embraces a variety of soil and climate,
Every valley contains different qualities of
soil, and is adapted to different products.
The cereals, such as wheat, oats, rye, barley,
and buckwheat, grow here and yield abund-
ant crops. Fields yielding forty bushels on
an average, are not uncommon, sixty and
seventy having been raised; but these are
isolated cases. Oats has also reached the
extraordinary yield OF 100 bushels per acre.
Corn is only grown for table use, but there
are localities in which it is grown very sue
cessfully. And we believe we are justifiedin
the assertion, that no country excels Mon
tana for vegetables. The yield per acre is
good, and the flavor exceeds anything we
ever knew before. Small fruit is beginning
to be introduced, and are fourishing. The
yields are in many instances remarkable.
We would not be understood to say that all
vegetable crops are a success; melons are
raised more for novelty than profit, but to-
matoes, pumpkins, squash, and many of the
tenderest garden plants grow in great album
dance.
We know of no place in America where a
poor man could get a good home easier than
| in Montana. All that is reanired is q LITTLE