Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-02-13

GENTLEMAN WFlUnS rom Mad1sOnVlIle
Kentucky. wishes lis to give him a sketch
of u country the prospects, or rather,
inducements to settlers and colonies, to.
gether with the prices of stock of all kinds,
b 1t is necessary for immigrants to bring,
etc., etc.
These things have been expatiated upon
In these columns to such an extent that it
IS difficult to tell anything new, or frame an
article that would be of interest to our Mon
tana readers, who have become SO familiar
with them that they think the whole world
ought to know them by this time.
We will say in briet, however, that Mon
tana was originally a mining country, but
subsequently development proved it to be
great in agricultural and pastoral resources.
Chains OF Lofty mountains traverse the en-
tire extent OF the territory, between which
are beautiful sHnlit valleys, watered by in
Vulnerable sparkling streams, from the
mountain torrent to the %meandering rivulet,
along whose ~alluvial banks agriculture is
carried on with unprecedented success.
Here herds range without a keeper, and
multiply without care, and with less loss
than characteriZes the business of stock
breeding in any state or territory in Amer
lea. Dur choice farming lands lie in mar
row belts with high, rolling plateaus, be-
tween, where there is free and unexcelled
pasturage, a large area of which never will
be fenced up. These. agricultural belts are
from one-half TO seven miles, in width, and
from i've to thirty miles. in length. AS
every farmer makes his own season.. as far
as watering q crops concerned. the. only
drawback to agricultural prosperity. is grass
hoppers, which have been pretty well mas
tered OF late-sothat he who soWs ia spring.
time may reap IN harvest despite the tickle
and uncertain skies.
Our markets are our inexhaustible mines.
Nearly every variety Of metal is found in
our mountains, and. gold, silver and copper
leads are yielding fortunes annually to those
who operate them. There is enough OF, our
population engaged II. mining to consume
all the farm products at.present, and it will
probably increase as fast as our productions
increase, as there are hundreds-yes,
thousands-of leads of gold and silver IN
claimed that cropon here and there and
everywhere among the mountains, that viii
be worked as the country becomes more
populous.
Sheep and cattle %husbandry is considered
the most profitable. Beeves are shipped to
the eastern markets SO also is our wool
clip. Wool-growers calculate confidently
upon from forty to sixty per cent. per an
mum upon their investment. There are few
who have not realized at least forty per
cent. up to the present time. For the profits
at cattle-growing, we would refer the reader
to an article elsewhere in this issue.
AS to what II is necessary for the immi-
grant to bring, we will say that money.is
the most essential. The mechanic might
bring his tools; The stock-grower or farmer
some choice stock-thoroughbred cattle,
sheep or, fine horses. Implements OF hus-
Dandry and farm supplies may be had here
reasonable tigures-less perhaps, than
they could be bought and shipped for, ex-
cept by experienced dealers
Common ponies may be had here at from
$50 to $50 per head farm horses, from $50
TO Sl25, but good roadsters are worth from
Sl25 to 500; unbroken horses that answer
. good purpose for farming can be bought
for $50; mules, from $50 to $3.50; /
oxen, from 500 to Shopper yoke; unbroken I
steers, four years old, $50 per head stock |
from SLIT SIG per head dairycows, |
from $40 TO $50; sheep, 1925 per head. /
Land, with convenient water and pastoral |
privileges, at government price, is $l.25 per- /
or may be homesteaded. The cost of I