Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1879-01-02
20S2 Helena, Montana, Thursday, January Z, 1872

vated. Mr.. Bass VIII 10 owns fine farm in Bit
er Root valley, has apple orchard of $50 acres,
all the trees bearing abundantly. Mr.. Bass had
field of wheat last year which contained fifty
acres, and averaged forty bushels per acre; twen-
ty acres of corn, averaging fifty bushels, ripe and
| sound. Onions, melons, tobacco, broom corn
| and peanuts have been raised on this farm. The
| There is a flower garden on this farm containing
over 100 varieties Mr.. Harris, another farmer
in the Bitter Root valley, had last season seventy
acres in wheat, fifty of which were raised with
out irrigation, and the whole averaged forty
| bushels per acre, twenty acres being voluntary
| crop. An orchard on this place, consisting of
apple and plum trees four years old, are very
| thrifty a i'd from six TO nine feet high. He has
a field ( timothy from which was cut twenty
| tons Of i,ay, or two tons per acre. Water mel
| ons, musk MELONS, squashes, tomatoes, beets,
carrots and onions are grown on this farm in
great abundance. These places are but samples
of many others in Montana, and show what can
be done in agriculture. The Territory is very
paradise for farmers. The Gallatin, Yellow
stone, Sun, Missouri, Madison, Ruby, Jefferson,
Deer Lodge, Jocko, Flathead, and Horse Plains
have all excellent farming lands. The value of
these lands is as yet trivial. Thousands and
thousands of acres can be had by merely settling
upon them under the homestead and pre- -emption
laws. Others are worth IS, $40, and SIS per
acre. Nicely improved far&s can be had at $40
and SIS per acre. The eley yation of the valleys
is from 1000 to 5000 feet above the level of the
sea, and the warm winds ffom the Pacific coast
keep them moist and pleasant. Several varieties
of grasses and native clover flourish luxuriantly,
and cure on the ground for winter grazing. On
the fifteen or twenty million acres of farming
lands in Montana, capable 81 sustaining a rural
population of 100000, there are as yet only
| 900 farmers.
The yield of grain in a single year has been
1900, 900 bushels, and the value of the cereal
and vegetable crop last year was little over
S. 100000. The value of farm products aver
age about as follows: Wheat, S2.1o per hun
dred pounds; oats, $2.25 per hundred pounds;
flour, $3.50 to $3.50; butter, 4oc to 75c per
pound; eggs, CSC per Dozen These prices will
not be reduced materially for some years to come,
as for every farmer who arrives to settle, dozen
lawyers, doctors, merchants, tradesmen and non
| producers of all kinds come.
Cattle growing in Montana has been found to
be enormously profitable. The grass is the best
I have yet seen for stock, and all kinds of ami
mails keep fat even in winter on the natural dried
hay. There are 100000 acres of grazing
lands, and of these not 10000, 900 have yet been
| occupied. Heifers produce at two years of age,
and the winters are so mild that not one calf in
ninety dies. 1t is unnecessary to put up any hay
| for stock in winter. They can run out every
month in the year. The increase of sheep is
100 lambs to every hundred ewes, and go per
cent. of the lambs live. The produce of wool
is immense, and four to eight pounds per fleece
are cut. About 1000 head of cattle are now
owned in Montana, 10000 head of sheep,
10000 head of horses, 5000 head Of mules and
10000 head of hogs. Poultry is very scarce,
and turkeys sell for So apiece, chickens for from
soc to 81 each. During the year 1873 over
Il 600 head of cattle were driven out of the
Territory for beef, and 10000 to 100000
pounds of wool will be shipped this year. The
dairy products are valued at $4,000. The
profit in cattle raising in Montana is from IS to
IS per cent on the capital invested. Sheep
yield from 80 to 40 per cent. profit, and horses
from 20 to 80 per cent. The loss in cattle is not
over one per cent, in sheep one to one and half
per cent, and horses two per cent per annum.
Yearling steers in Montana bring 81 to $40; two
year olds, $I2 to $40; three year olds, $50 to
$2s, and four year olds, $zs to $35. Cows are
worth $40 to $50, according to their quality
Common sheep are worth $2 to 50, and graded,
$4 toss.
As a mining region, Montana is unsurpassed,
and am inclined to believe, from personal OBJ
servation, that plenty Of gold and silver will be
taken out long after Nevada and Calf MIA have
ceased to produce. The placer mines are nearly
worked out, but they haveSbeen indeed wonder
full; $3o,ooo,ooo were taken from Alder gulch
alone, and nearly $Io,oooooo from Confederate
pulch, Both quartz and placer mines are found
in every county in the Territory, and farmers
hese been known to plow "a nuggets Of gold m
|sf silstr - = wsll IS gold,
zs.f = = = pfsual belt is over
iaaals lave already