The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-01-02
THE County, FOR CATTLE.
The Climatic and Other Influences
That Render Northern Montana
the Stockman's Paradise.
How Fortunes ace Made in the Business.
Two Instances Cited--The Fascin-
at1ons of the Life.

The advantages offered by northern
Montana for cattle raising have often
been descanted upon, out a short pre-
sentation of facts relating thereto may
prove interesting to the un informed.
J~ocularly called the (" banana belt"
metaphorically the golden belt" it is
in it's climatic conditions the terrestrial
paradise of horned stock. The suprem-
acy of Texas in the cattle industry has
successfully been disputed by Colorado
and Wyoming, and now the sceptre is
passing from the middle districts to the
more benign region of the north. The
latter term may seem paradoxical; by
the word benign is meant environment
in its breadest sense. 1t has been DEM
onstrated that each ], 1000 feet of altitude
is in mean temperature equal to a degree
of latitude, and that the great plateau
along the eastern base of the Rocky
Mountains rises from north to south,
whereby the 49ts parallel experiences
no more rigorous weather han is felt IN
Colorado. But it is not upon this fact
alone that the success of the business
depends. The scope of country from
Bow river, in the British Northwest
territory, south to Wyoming, is es-
pecially under heinfiuence Of the super
heated air brought to Americas north
west shores by the great Japan current,
which air, rising high over forests and
49, r4os ,,e@ 1ocaan6G r1nnn tho a2Gfarn
plateau to break in a few hours the
strongest letters that the ice king has
nut upon the land. This is not an oc-
c~asional incident, but unfailingly comes
at the time of the stockman's greatest
need, giving to Montana winters a di-
versity no where else experienced,
breaking it into a succession OF cold but
inyigorating periods and spells OF spring
like balminess.
The rugged character Of the territory
in general is another advantage that
stockmen will recognize, because noun
tain spires and hills and coulees afford
shelter for the hardy herds, enabling
them to weather the severest storRas
without p~erceptible loss. The grasses
are the most %succulent known to the
g~razier; cured by the drying windsthat
commence to blow in August, they re-
tain all their properties unimpaired IN
the form Of hay standing as it grows.
Without water, the necessary food sol
vent, the besto of grass may grow in vain,
but on this point as on others northern
Montana reigns supreme; everywhere
broad, deep rivers, shallow, ripping
rivers, dashing streams, rills, springs
and lakes abound.
Tits only within the past few years
that the possibilities Of stock raising IN
northern Montana have come to be fully
understood. Many Of the old-tlmers
have, in less than a decade, grown rich
almost by accident, because they have
only in a slight degree applied business
principles to the conduct of their affairs.
Under the better order of things that
now obtains, the ranges are largely con-
trolled by associations, whereby har-
mony is introduced into the handling
of stock at a minimum of expense and
the small owners share in equitable pro-
portion. The herds are never afflicted
by disease, as In the southern countries,
nor are they troubled with jiggers, ticks
screw worms and insects that reduce
b efanimal in flesh.
The average annual increase branded
is about 33 per cent. of a mixed herd, or
about so per cent. of the number of calf
BEARING cows The cattle are the best