River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-03-02

best workable coal vein near Miles
City occupies position in the cut
bluffs near the surface of the water in
the Yellowstone river. The next best
vein for mining purposes lies about
seventy-fve feet above the former in
the adjacent outlying buttes.
THE CROPS.
At the last Official report it appeared
that 80, 403 acres of agricultural land
had been taken up under the govern
ment laws for cultivation in this valley,
and that last year %, $50 bushels of
oats and 10000 bushels of potatoes
were harvested that was practically the
first farming year in this region. Since
then the settlement has been so rapid
that the area under cultivation this
year must be at least thousand per
cent. larger, and the crops have in
creased in equal proportion.
The great demand for local consump-
ton makes farming very profitable,
and vegetables and small fruits bring
the most exorbitant prices. New po-
tatoes when first in market this sum-
mer were sold for ten cents per pound,
and at no time during the summer re-
tailed for less than two and half.
Turnips and cabbage brought as much
as three cents per pound, and cauli-
flower--of which the finest possible
specimens are grown here-from ten
to twenty cents per head; celery often
twenty-five cents a bunch, and beets,
parsnips, satisfy, ETC., bring
CORRESPONDENCE HIGH PRICES.
Tomatoes, which are somewhat more
uncertain crop on account of the posi-
BILE early frost, bring from ten cents to
as high as thirty cents per pound. OF
the small fruit there is still better OPP
portunity for money making. Straw
berries are never sold at less than 33s
cents, in large quantities, and the usual
price is so cents per quart. Raspber-
ries so to rs cents per quart, and for
the very first in market sometimes 81
is obtained. Currants bring so to 60
cents per gallon.
Experiments in wheat culture have
met with the most fattering results,
although az long as farmer can make
twice the money cultivating oats or po-
tatoes for the local market it will not
be largely entered into, unless some en-
terprising man should utilize this mag
nificent water-power by erecting a
Touring mill.
STOCK RAISING
is and will be the idea in Montana.
There are 25,000,000 acres of the finest
grazing land in the world in the basin
Of the Yellowstone. The famous bunch
grass, which is the most nutritious
upon which cattle can feed, is found
here in its most luxurious growth, and
as it cures early upon the ground, il
furnishes supply of hay for winter
without the expense of harvesting.
The best cattle ranges are in the hills
back from the river bottoms, the slope
being covered with bunch grass, which
the winds keep clear of snow in the
winter season. the intervening canyons
furnishing shelter from storms, and in
exhaustible springs of water abouuding.
Here the hardy native cattle range
the whole year without expense or
attention on the part of the owner, ex-
cept at the annual Ground up" in the
spring for the purpose of branding the
calves. The only outlay necessary is
the construction of log cabin for resi-
dence and corral to hold the cattle
during the branding season. Cattle
raising has been for years the staple in
dustry in western Montana, but is only
in its infancy in the Yellowstone Val
ley, although the requisite conditions
are even more favorable. 1t is COM
puted that there "a, 800, 600 acres Of ex-
cellent grazing land in this basin of the
Yellowstone. The ordinary profits of
cattle raising is 80 per cent.
Two or three years from now the fer
tile valleys and grassy slopes where we
found these enormous herds feeding,
will be covered with domestic cattle
and sheep being fattened for the Chi
cago market. There are no herding
ranges in the world that surpass the
country stretching between the Yellow
stone and the Miss Ouri rivers. The four
requisites for successful and profitable
herding are found here in natural con-
dition of perfection, namely, grass,
water, shelter, and convenient trans
portation.
The buffalo grass is the most nutri-
tious upon which an animal can be
fed, and cattle prefer it to clover; the
water is pure and plenty, the shelter of
these deep ranges and gorges is per-
fec, the buttes and ridges offering pro-
lection against storms that is not found
along the ranges of the southern terri
tories. But what is equally, if not
more important, is that
THE MARKET Is AT YOUR DOOR.
Glendive will be the great cattle mar
ket of the northwest. 1t will be what
Wichita has been to the southwest, with
better facilities for transportation. A
herdsman can drive his cattle into
Glendive in the morning, and at night
can see them shipped either by boat to
st. Louis or by rail to Chicago. The
time is about four days to Chicago by
rail- and about seven to st. Louis by
boat Or he can send them to Duluth
and ship them to New York via the
lake and Buffalo, or to Europe
via the st. Lawrence and Montreals
He can put his cattle on the car.
at Glendive, reship them by boat at
Duluth, and have them in New York
almost as soon as they can reach st.
Louis by water via. the Yellowstone
and Missouri. The charges for trans
portation are very reasonable. / be-
lieve the rae to Chicago on live stock
is 70 cents per 100 pounds. Ranches
are already springing up here, and
nerdsmen are driving their cattle from
Washington Territory, Oregon, Idaho,
and northwestern Montana, to take adj
vantage of the superior grazing and the
facilities for TRANSPORTATION.