Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-11-22

unon the tickle and uncertain SKIES. III
lands now occupied are those location
where the water for irrigation can b
brought out with the least labor; Blu ther
are hundreds of acres yet unclaimed Whlc
can be watered by simply shoveling a fey
rods of ditch from the creek bank, and pillow
inr the remainder of the distance. AS ye
there has been but little done in the way c
building fine dwellings by the farmers, an
as the price of land here is governed niainl.
by the value OF the improvements, it re
mains quite low. The land itself is rate
usually at government prices, Sl.2o pc
acre. and the value of improvements adde'
thereto, and good farms can be bought i
most every settlement at from $500 to 500
per acre. In most localities timber TO
building and fencing is plentiful, and pin
lumber can be had at two cents per foot.
The 'hoppers do damage to crops boil
before and after they fly. This season near
ly one-third of the oat crop in eastern AM
central Montana was destroyed. Whea
was but slightly injured and the harvest wa
IJOllllpllls1s III u @tSdb tualh 80
wheat yielded over 40 bushels to the acre
The farmers here are becoming so accus
toned to the 'hoppers that they do no
dread them so much as formerly. In spring
they guard their fields by filling their irri
eating bitches with water, keeping TIT
young pests on the outside, or causing thejl
death by drowning in the attempt to cross
over, and trust to luck in being overlooked
by the immigrant 'hoppers.
There has not been an effort made to keel
bees in Montana, but | believe the country
is eminently fitted for them. A great guam
tity and variety of wild flowers bloom upo1
our mountains from early spring until thu
tall season, and, though they have not beer
tried here, | feel confident that they would
do we'll. In Utah, three hundred miles
south of here, and in a climate much the
same as ours, the business is carried on prof
itably. Buckwheat, which is excellent fo1
bees, grows and natures here as well as 9th
err cereals. The flour made from buckwheat
grown here, is as fine a quality as is to be-
had in any country.
But little has been done in the way Of
fruit-groWing, but we are satisfied from the
favorable results, that q great variety OIL
small fruits can be successfully grown here
There is not an agricultural valley but what
has some favored localities in which toma.
toes and other tender plants are grown and
mature we'll. AS yet, however, the Nilsson
la and Bitter Root valleys have taken the
lead in the culture of small fruits, but we
think those valleys no more favored for that
business than many other localities in the
higher attitudes.
AS q stock country, Montana has no equal,
Horses. sheep and cattle live the year round
without any other feed than that which
they get from our grassy hills. The bunch
grass here seem to contain Il superior nutri-
ment, and is far ahead of the timothy of the
Western States, or the mesquite grass of
Texas and New Mexico. 1t grows to a
good length in summer and dries up in the
winter, but retains its strength and does not
kill out. The beeves that are slaughtered
III our markets are driven in from the herds
on the range and are as fat and tender as
could be desired, and equal to if not superb
OF to the Stalled cattle in your New Iork
markets. The country is cut up with. high
mountain ranges, and upon the highest
the snowfall is usually quite deep in winter.
but upon the hills and valleys betweensit is
Comparatively light. In some of the most
favored localities If caIdom locts 4L..
three days. The snow that does fall.is dry
and light. and is driven away by the winds,
SO tllat stock have no trouble in PROCURING