Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-03-27
WHAT CROPS TO CULTIVATE.

u.
= f,rmers Of Gallatin county to consile
well. before proceeding to their sprin
work. what crops will be best. surest an
ms most profitable for them to cultivate tn
coming season. The population of tn
he Territory being as yet comparatively smal
and the demand for produce being quit
;, limited, tits a very easy matter for tn
" farmers to produce large surplus OF am
sisg!e commodity and thus bring about .
u runousiy low market for the entire crop
., An unusually large acreage sOwn in oats
for instance. il favorable season for that
It grain. would produce such large surplus
g over any probable demand as to render the
entire crop almost worthless to the pro-
o duccrs. The general impression that an
+ abundant crop of oats was harvested last
season has no doubt had a tendency to de-
6 preciate prices during the past winter.
, while the extremely low figures ruling in
the bids recently submitted tor supplying
the Government Posts during the coming
hscal year almost precnlcs the possibility
OF obtaining high prices for oats which
may be required for other than Govern
ment use.
1t is to be regretted on many accounts
that there should be such strong competi-
ton and SO little mutual understanding be-
tween merchants and farmers or among
farmers themselves in bidding on Govern
ment contracts. If the matter could be
properly a-.aaged, Government officials
generally prefer paying at least rs,nuncrs-
tive prices for all forage and subsistence
required at the various military Posts IN
the Territory. but competition is usually |
so strong and bidders SO numerous and
anxious for contracts that they are yirtu-
ally denied the privilege of doing so. The
foregoing appear to be The only reasons
why supplies are furnished at lower rates
at the various military Posts in Montana
than they are elsewhere in the United
States. We know of no remedy for this
undesirable condition of things unless il
may be in taking proper precautions {
against over-production of any single AZ
ticle. As general ruI., we believe those i
farmers who cultivate systematically the S
largest variety of cereals and vegetable :
crops-following system of mixed farm
the most successful in the long s
run. The practice Of some in coniininy a
themselves principally to a particular spe- i;
cies OF grain or vegetable borders too 81
much on the speculative principle and is il
attended with such risks. both rs to CROPS II
and prizes, us but few can afford TO take.
Scarcely a season. passes in Montana but 8,
some particular kind of grain or vegetable %
'rop is seriously injured cut short. or even II,
destroyed by the rilvages of loc,sts or the Il;
'eciIl'arities incident to our location and g.
lmate. and yet we hare never experienced -,
nything like total failure of all crops.
Is general rule. the larger the variety of r,
rOps cultivated. SO that they are adapted -,
D tic soil and climate OF the country. and ~ ~
he less are the risks attending farming -,
peratiOns. II al! varieties prove Success :.
II then the farmer is fully prepared to take II,
vantage of any and every in"rket within -,
is reach. If any particular article should 9,
rove failure he would. in all probability.
i'll have Others upon which l.. could RELY. 20
on the otber b,,d o,,- 49,, -, da,
'oIild happen TO be produced in such ex- zee
IS OF demand as to render it compare ,HS
rely valueless. then he would not he I'M :!
r any particular necessity OF forcing s"'
ch article upon the nllrIet while he has
her products for which there will be a frs
isOnable demand and for which l,e cop yea
.lize remnneIative prices. teri
an for frier {" o tlIsiae ffat there is mn
other way OF making money or being tim
ccessfui than that of raising and market con
: large crops Of wheat or oats or pota- L
IS. For several years past the markets zen:
Montana have been quite abtIndantly be e
'pied with these articles. in fact we tere
&c been almost surfeited with them. vet scho
me same time we have had co,npara- this
dearth OF such articles as are most de- and
ble tor the family larder and the tables as a
our restaurants and hotels. Strange II
inconsistent as it may appear, right Ten
e in BozeuIan, the agricultural town of fines
'"h', INC entire Town Is ransackcd al be 10
;. o'''" "ecA III oraer 10 iind mess OF land
'ns. cabbage. catilflowers, beets. pars- with
:, y, S4..s,' PUMPKINS doze1 eggs. half long
en chiehens. or fen poun,is of good, rooo
\ butter. With proper infringement feet
would be more clear money in con- cei,ir
ing at least portion Of the grain once
~ IN this county into beet. pork chick the |;
eggs and good butter, than in selling
the highest figures which have been
ined for years past.
onfana is now increasing quite rapidly r.,
H.. ''', "' '''o '''inn's c'i'"ps are respo
wing very large proportion of this afi;c
sise, the demand for such articles as ,,,;to
ave enumerated must necessarily in NJ Fe
e at a much greater ratio than the de- ohio J
for small grain. The sui ject. in all its AG;c.
~ ~. . o9 '"e seiio"s cohsidefa- TONED
He. gnu Ac' Safuehers that Il
80. I'm! iexeIfi