Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1879-12-04
Helena, Montana, Thursday, December 4, 1879.
THE NORTHERN WHEAT BELT.
The Vast Grain Growing Area OF Meni
lOba t..

Extract from J. W. Tavlors letter in the Pioneer
| viii the great interior of the continent con.
tribute to the expectation of wheat and its
flour? refer to the territorial organizations
of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado,
Utah and Nevada. Let US take the most fav-
| Ored of all, Montana. Grand as are it's re-
sources, am constrained to say that only
one thirtielh Of its surface is within reach of
Ihe unavoidable cOuuilion of irrigation, and
thal tue mountains with their mlueral wealth
and ,he upiands AS gIaZlng grounds tor cattle
auu sheep VIII be the cnleI Theatres of indus
lrIal activity. After careful inquiry in 1868,
as United States Commissioner OF mining
Statistics, / committed myself to the follow
ing statement:
''rhe area of the Territory (Montana) is
146 6S9 35-lUO SQUARE niles, equal To 81. SS1 :
lS4 acIes-uealIy the same as California,
ia. ee tlunes the area VI New York, two anu
u half that of New England, and yet no
greater proportion is cIalE.ed by local author
tiles as susceptible Ot cultivation than one
acre in thnty, Or Total OF 3 346 4OO acres.
Ot Course tar greater surface Will afford
susIenance to domestic animals The limit
to agriculture, as in Colorado and New Mex
lco, is the possibility OF irrigation.
In recent report of the National GeOlOg-
ical commission, observe that Maj. j. w.
Powell estimates the amount of land in Utah
(wiih "a, 476 square miles) that can be re-
deemed Dy the utilization of streams, bul
without the construction of reservoirs, as
about 1850 600 acres. How far east this
necessity of irrigation exists. am not COM
l. Il
III longitude SO degrees by Prof. Henry, of
the Smi' hsOnian Institute. but 1O1 deg, or
three degrees further west especially west of
Manitoba, is probably more accurate. Upon
the limited areas available for agriculture,
the crops are very remarkable, but their vol
ume, of course commanding the highest
price, will be absoI Ib-6 by miners and herds
men in addition to the demands of towns and
cities. In this connection should not omit
to add that the localities of Central Canada
on the line 1000 miles northwest from 81.
Paul-B.ttleiord, Prince Albert, Fort Nc
Murray, Fort Ve,milI'on, including the bet-
ter known Fort Edmonton, are all west of
longitude 1O5 degrees, and are in direct range
with Denver city, Great Salt Lake and even
Virginia City, yet, at none OF the more nor
thern positions is there any necessity of irri-
CATION. It is the crowning feature Of the
''fertlc belt" which broadens with reduced
attitudes and constant air currents from the
Pacific coast, that the immense trapezniI
whose apex is bounded ON the >Mackenzie,
has sufficient quantity of summer rains for
al the rnrposes Of agriculture az organized
n the Atlantic and Mississippi States.
have no pride Of opinion as to the accur-
ICY Of an impromptn estimate of proportions
,orth or south of the boundary. l would |
'heerfu'lv waive it, confessing to an arith-
netical inaccuracv. If assured Of general
acceptance of the oninion with which the ar
icle Of the Pioneer Press concludes, namely.
hat in the Hudson Bow Territory, outside of
he old provinces. 200 O0O 600 acres are
daptpd to wheat raising The admission is
more than enough to instifv railroad policv
which will pnsh. within ten veara. the loco
motive from Winneneg fully 20O miles be-
ond its present bourne on Red river.