Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-05-25

We continued our journey down the val
lev. five or six miles, to Mr.. L. w. Miller's
farm. Mr.. M. has about a hundred acres of
land fenced in, most Of which is under cultl-
walton. Near this farm the waters Of the
north and south forks of the Sun river unite
and run in an eastwardly direction to its
mouth, a distance of sixty miless where it
empties into the Missouri, a short distance
above the Great Falls.
OF the north fork Of Sun river we saw but
little, but were informed that the hills ex-
tend in closer to the river, and that thai
there are but few valleys-most of these be-
ing adapted to hay-lands. At it's junction
with the south fork, however, the valley is
two miles wide, and for a distance OF four
miles up the stream it is as level as a barn
floor.
Leaving Mr.. Miller's we proceeded down
the river about twenty miles, and crossed
over to Messre. Cox & Flowrie's stock
ranch, on the north side Of the river. The
valley along the route is in most places as
large and comprises as good farminglands
as any we have herein described, but the
scarcity of timber on the river (the distance
to the mountains being from ten to twenty
five miles, renders it less inviting for settle
ment than some other sections.
We found Mr.. j. r. Cox, one of the men,
bers of the firm, at home and shared the
Inequalities Of his cozy bachelor retreat for
the night. These gentlemen are principally
engaged in stock-raising-their herd of cat
tie numbering over 5000 head. They have
a large farm enclosed with a substantial
fence, a portion of which is under cultiva-
ton. For the past three years the most
done upon this farm. 1t is watered by a
large ditch taken from the river more than a
mile above. We have not seen a better
meadow than that covered by this ditch. 1t
is a level tract of upland soil and produces Il
fine quality of bluejoint hay. Near Mr..
Cox's residence, which is close to the foot
hills, a beautiful rivulet of clear water bursts
out and run away through the. meadow,
and empties into the river a mile below.
Here the hills rise almost perpendicultrly
and form a complete fence a mile in length
which serves to protect. the valley from the
north winds, making it a permanent and
comfortable rendezvous for stock during
stormy weather. By building a fence from
the point of this bluff to the head of their If
rigating ditch, about a mile long, having the
river to serve for a fence on the south, they
can enclose 1000 acres of as good hay and
farning-land as can be had in the country.
Mr.. Cox has made two trips from Texas
to Montana with cattle. Their herd was
originally pure Texan, bnt they have been
improving it materially by breeding to high
graded herd. They are the owners of the
celebrated thoroughbred Bismarck, formerly
the property of j. Germaine, of Helena,
and Charles Dahler, a fine three-year-old
pure-blooded shorthorn. They have been
breeding these bulls to some large American
COWS, and save the bull-calyes for service.
This season they will turn about fifty of
these grades into their herd.
Leaving Messrs. Cox & Flowrie's, we
crossed back to the south bank of the river.
and continued our journey down the valley
fourteen miles. to Sun River Crossing. The
valley along this route varies from one to
two miles in width, and is mostly GOOD
farming and hayland. A great deal of this,
however, is included in the military r~eserva-
tlon OF Fort Shaw, which is situated about
nve miles above the crossing upon a / eauti-
,ol plateau OF benchland. A large ditch
mas been cut from the river, five miles above