Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-12-18
OUR arabic BENCHES.
The Country Surrounding Great Falls
the Garden Spot OF Montana.

The region lying around the Great Falls
Of the Missouri, and to a large extent nat
urally tributary to the town of Great Falls,
is the "garden spot Of Montana" On the
west side of the Missouri, emptying into it
just opposite the town. is sun river, with
its beautiful valley already dotted with
farming residences that will compare IA
vorably with any in the states, risining in
the Rocky mountains and having a valley
one hundred miles in length and fromtwo
to ten miles in width-land to give two
hundred and fifty families u fine farm
each. Parallel to this valley. near the
mouth, is another valley, or sag, sill rich
er, evidently an ancient bed of the river,
which by actnal measurement contains one
hundred farms of one hundred and sixty
acres each Of fine land. On the northwest
is the Missouri valley which, intIlirty miles
distance, gives over one hundred farms.
On the southeast lie the fertile valleys OF
Box Elder. Belt and IEighwood rivers, at
the average distance OF nine, eighteen ana
twenty-five miles, respectively, already
we'll settled by prosperous farmers, and
dred and fifty farms.
Just south Of Great Falls is the mouth
of the famous "Sand Coulee." This broad
green valley is about twenty-five miles in
length and cannot be surpassed as a farm
inc region. Without a single house five
years ago, it IS now dotted with the home
of well-to-do farmers. Twenty miles
further south is the valley OF Smith river,
which is a hundred miles in length and
contains scores of 1irst-class farms.
Within a radius of a few miles are six
or seven valleys, containing the finest ane
best lands in Montana or in the whole
country. But these are not all. The
farmers Of that region were long since
convinced that the best agricultural lands
are those on the bench and not in the val
1eys, and many are now cultiyating them.
Until lately the scarcity Of water has pre-
vented Il more universal cultivation of
these bench lands; but since flowing wells
at a moderate depth can be obtained in
that vicinity, the problem Of water sup
ply can be easily solved. With the fay-
orabIe situation of these lands, surround
ed by three ranges Of mountains, with
their natural reservoirs of water, it is safe
to conclude that wellsof pure water can
be obtained at moderate cost.
Within a radius of thirty or forty miles
there are one hundred townships, or
three thousand six hundred square miles,
equal to fourteen thousand four hundred
farms, Of one hundred ami sixty acres
each, nearly all capable of producing the
largest crops. This is an area equal to
one-third the state of Vermont, which
supports a population of three hundred
and forty thousand people, and has rot
one-half as large a percentage of arabic
lands.
No where does land yield more prolif-
ically, and no where is it so abundant
and cheap. One hundred and sixty acres
of land can be had under the Homestead
law by living on, and cultivating it for
five years, and paying a few dollars as
fees. One hundred and sixty acres more
can be taken under the Pre- emption act,
by paying $1.25 per acre, and one hun
dred and sixty acres can be had by plant
ing ten acres with timber. Six hundred
and forty acres more can be taken by
man and wife each, under the Desert
Land act, by ~irrigating and cultivating
the land, and paying $1.25 per acre, thus
giving from eleven hundred to eighteen
hundred acres of land to every farmer
for much less than the cost OF a small
farm in the States.