The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-03-01
FARMING FACTS.
What a Traveller Thinks Of Our
Agricultural Resources.
The Necessity Of Legal Enactments for for
thh Protection and Encouragement
Of the Farmer.
Fort BENTON, Feb. 81, 1882

FoRT Benton, Feb. 81, 1882.
Editors of the River Press
Having travelled over a large portion Of
your Territory during the last two years, and
having paid special attention to its soil, eli
mat and productions, l will give your read
els my opinion of its capabilities.
Long before the soil had been disturbed by
a plough, where now are the great wheat
fields Of Dakota, | had made myself familiar
with the country from the mouth of the Bots
des Sioux at Breckenridge to Winnipeg, in
the British dominions and from the Red
River to the Missouri, where Bismarck now
Stands, and have since my first visit repeated
ly travelled over the Same sections ard noted
the many the chang s-almost incredible to
ole who has not seen them with his own
eyes.
Twelve years ago no one believed that any
Of the lands between the valley of the Red
river and the Missouri would produce crops
OF the cereals in paying quantities. Now
great farms are producing the finest quality
of wheat, yielding from twenty 10 thirty-fy-
bushels and at u cost OF not more than 81 to
IS per acre! Thirty hree years ago I first
Travelled over the prairies Of Minnesota, and
anyone then asserting that it would become
an agricultural section would have been
thought to be ii fl >utj ct for the insane asy.
UNI. When in 1851 Governor Ramsey made
the treaty purchasing The country west Of the
Mississippi from The Sioux, it as frequently
said by Minnesolians IL is d pity the Gov
ernment cou.d not let the indians keep the
country, as it is good for nothing for white
people"
LII ID ,kota SO great was the distrust in the
productiveness Of the lands west of the Rel
river valley that the first attempts were made
at farming ON a small scale, fearing to risk
too much, and then generally upon the bot
tom lands but it was soon found that the
high plateaus produced the best grain, and
more in quantity. The farm of ex- President
Hayes. tour miles north ut Bismarck, the
Steele fam, ,hirty-fve miles east, and the
Troy farm, still farther eat, are upon the
high pIateaus-upon land in every respect
~ e"S ANt ~ !OA0 SohoA
Your prairies have the same kind of natural
grasses, the Same varieties of wild flowers
and weeds, the same kind and quality Of
soil, with the same kind Of sub soil under
lying it. The cactus is not found In as great
abundance here upon the prairies as l used
to See between The James and Missouri riv-
ers, showing That The soil here has more
moisture in it. Last summer | saw thousands
OF acres OF the hign praIries in this Terri
tory where a mower wouli cut a fair crop OF
hay, though the small curly buff .o grass
which prlucip ally aboun Is is not tx pecteu 10
Yield "A heavy growth.
You have d mine of wealth 10 the rich soil
of your broad, rolling prairies that will ct
maze Montana one ot the best agricuIiur.l
States il The Union.
Ihe wealth of your mines and herds are
only developed 10 be harvested and Carried
out of The c"un,,y. Your miners and herd
ers are generally nomadIc, leaving nothing
OF value behind 10 remember The m when
they migrate. | do not lhiUk that Montana
will take front rank as an agric ullural terri
tOiys PilutiphHy IW ING lcaSOu tudt oil your
laws alt Intended to foster the Interests OF
the large cattle owners and } deter farmers
from opening up farms. While The laws Of
d .kota require stock owners to ''herd' their
STOCK, yours r. qnires farmers to fence their
farm, before a IL. OveIy can be had for dam
ages by stock To crops. Upon Your Iaree
prairles. miles from timber, fencing farms 8
next To iinpos ,sible. Tue graz ug interests
are very important and should be projected,
but not by CRUSHING out tler branches of
business. Again, you llcrnse jaws, r qnir-
ing q license. vaa,ing from SIG 10 $500 per
annum, and extending To nearly every
branch OF business, was intended to raise q
sufficient amount OF revenue for ordinary
pui poses, with only Il nominal tax upon the
herds of the great stock owners Of the Ter
litoIy.
Pastoral life is but one remove above the
nomadic savage. No permanent improve
m-nt is made hy the owners of great herds.
No school house, NJ church. in fact no So
ciely l. fOuni over the immense tracts where
the herds roam. A small house with . strong
corral near for the ''rnuu,' up" parties, To
be occupied for a few da, s in the spring and
fall, is all that is required. Many reasons
M# - - L~ .&nAl Avusr thu 0Au ~ ~ arn -