The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-02-15
Montana.

In recent number of The Western
World, s. W. Langhorne. Register of the
Helena Land Office, writes of the agri-
cultural area of Montana, and touches
incidentally on our mining, stockgrow-
ing and other resources as well. He
says:
In proportion to the total area of Mon.
tana, these really valuable agricultural
lands, by which mean those adapted to
successful Civilizations, are perhaps not to
exceed one-filth of the total area. Out
side of this are large tracts which are well
adapted to stock raising, as the mountains,
where not timbered, are clothed with
vcrdure up to their SUBMITS. In order
to successfully cultivate arabic lands,
water is essential, as our lands require
irrigation, and when successfully irrigat-
ed, yield abundantly, Let us take for
example the valley of the Gallatin in
Gallatin county, which is perhaps the
largest agricultural district in the terri
tory, and we find the yields this year to
average 40 bushels per acre of wheat and
90 bushels of oats.
A very large portion of Montana is
mountainous and rich in ores of various
kinds. As consequence, therefore, MN
ing is the principal resource. Next in
importance, SO far as the investment of
capital is concerned, is stock raising, and
third, agriculture, which so far produces
barley enough for home consumption. 1t
is perhaps safe to say that but little over
one.fourth of Montana has as yet been
surveyed, and there are still large
tracts, which are valuable for agriculture
al purposes, unsurveyed. The character
of the farming land is for the most part
rich alluvial loan, with a sub-soil of
gravel, and in places which have been
titled for twenty years, shows no decrease
in yield, although no artificial means of
restoring it has been resoited to.
Up to this time the principal products
have been wheat, oats, barley and vege-
tables. Fruits Except the small kinds,
such as strawberries, currants, raspber-
ries and gooseberries) have not been
grown to any extent. In the western
portion of the territory, in Missoula
county, apples and plums have been
successfully grown.
The lands which are fit for agriculture
are located in the valleys and along the
streams, here and there, as such are
found scattered among the mountains.
The Gallatin valley, comprising an area
of about $50 square miles, is the largest
and most thickly populated. Next in
Importance is the Bitter Root valley, in
Missoula county. Besides these are
numerous smaller valleys, scattered
throughout the territory. A large and
promising district north of the Flathead
lake offers an inviting field, much of
which is unsurveyed. Again, Indian
reservations (which will in time no doubt
be restored to the public domain) cover a
very large amount of good land. An ex-
animation of the map of Montana will
show you that its entire northern por-
tion is covered by Indian reservations
This land now penetrated by the Mani
toba railroad, completed to this place
will in time he open and offer large
area of good land for homes. regret
that time is not at my disposal to give
you, at greater length and more in detail,
the wonders of this marvellous country,
SO rich in everything needful to make
wealthy and prosperous commonwealth.