Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-02-22
FARMING PROSPECTS,.


ks FARMING PROSPECTS.
- 0Al!Atin, beng almost exclusively
Farming county, the agricultural resource
r and prospects are matters of great inter
= rcst, not only 10 the actual tillcrs of tn
ri soil, hut also to ALL the merchants, me
= shabics and professional men of the com
munity. In this Territory, where we ar
Of necessity restricted to limited hom'
fhSrket, IN ds~posing of the product.
of the farm, We have been taught by sad
experience that an abundant harvest, in
: other words. season in which larg,
surplus of grain is produced, is almost as
4 acouraEing and unfortunate in its results
as . failure of crops-a comparatively
small surplus usually 90 depreciating
prices IS to render the entire yield almost
worthless At first thought, one would
suppose that this evil might be easily rem.
edicd, but so far we must confess that the
efforts OF combinations, ''rings" and
Oranges to regulate the prices of farm
products ard dispose of them at reasona-
'e ble and remuneratlve figures, at a time
when the supply was known to be greater
than the demand, Las not been attended
with encouraging success. Indeed, it is
doubtful whether any organization IN be
b, formei that can either regulate the
mount of grain to be raised, or the prices
ut which it Will be sold. A scarcity, one
season, stimulates to greater exeriion.
p, more preparations and larger crop the
following year, and when that crop isl
raised the greater portion of it must of
necessity be thrown on the market, and
sold at just what it will bring. Nobody
is particularly to blame if prices are ruin.
Ously low. If hundred sacks of flour
are crowded on the market when there IS
only demsnd for fifty, the one hundred
sacks is surplus of fifty and will not be
likely to bring any more money in the
og sregate than fifty would if that amount
had been all that Was offered.
The long recognized law of demand and
supply must. aud vii; of Necessity, regu-
late the prices of farm products as well
as every other article of commerce. /,
" During the past three years, the farm
ers have suffered. in some localities, very [
seriously, in others triftingly, by the grass
hopper scourge, but after all, very fair
crops of grain and vegetables have been
prOduccd-abOut sufficient on the whole t
to supply every demand of the Territory. Il
The result is, that this winter finds the I
farmers, perhaps, in better circumstances b
than they have been for years past Farm u
products of all kinds command fair living II
prices, while 1t is evident 10 al that there L
Is no perc"ptible surplus. The grass 10
hoppers have disappeared-neglecting to 10
deposit TIL If eggs-and with them the
apprehension of another partial failure of
crops, but unfortunately not the dread of
an increased area of land TO be sown, ar
abundant harvest and consequent low
prices. Tie question is already being m
ssked by few chronic alarr,;sts and in ri
veterate respondents, "Where shall we e
Ind . market for our next CROPS of b
grain?" To such, and all Others interest 81
ed. we would Offer the following facts 81
Anu Suggestions: W
LIST. Farming operations have been ri
Carried on quite extensively in this coun. al
~, as also in other portions of the Terri "
tory, for the past twelve years, We. TO-DAY c.
flnds us without bushelof surplus grain al
Or single unstable farm or dairy pro- in
duct. The pas: may safely be taken as 81
IN index OF the future. and although we 1t
may have seasons of great abunda and ar
perhaps excess, we may safely predict NJ
hat during the next ten years-probably TO
he next five years : We shall have such led
reasons OF failure a. will require the en- ih
ire surplusage Of abundant seasons tolsp
upply the demand. th
sod. We would suggest that there be IT,
70 holding back in planting or other con. an
'tmplstcd farming operations on account wi
II prospective surplus and consequent led
lnremunerstive prices. NIB
It 10 believed that the demand for grain sol
or the stage lines of Montana is steadily to'
% the increase; that more OF the freight. IN
ng to and from the settlements is being tol
ono With horse and mule teams every MT
ear; that more grain is required for fr
oeding teams engaged in hauling quartz. dh
nd other mining operations, than form. sh'
ry, while 1t IS more than peobable tina, Sit
'ese different branches of business will tor
0 largely increased during the coming U"
unmer. But we have no good reason to ALL
'rmise that the military forces which De
eretOfOre have been our main STAY in no.
US with ready market for COT
'cst OF the surplus grain. hay and flour the
reduced, will be placed beyond our wa
'ach. Oats. and perhaps also hay and Da
'ur, csn be raised and furnished At the ant
osts at Big Hora and Tongue River dar
reaper than they can be furnished from sho
. Staee& Nearly every enterprise oflfro
e kind. undertaken with fat-bosss and
axons, last season, was successful. "o
We are Informed that Captain Marshall ans
uartefmsster u Fort Ellis, has Just re- ou'
lived instructions from Headquarters to the
inward Immediately 10000 pounds of incl
10 for the service at Tongue River. pra
'ith the facilities for transportation af- Z.
rded By the Yellowstone River, and OK
Id mulc trains which will in all proba
lily be employed next Sucmer and Fall. =
eighttng merchandise from the head of ~
Iviga'ion on the Yellowstone to the IN