The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-03-26
A TRIP AMONG THE FARMERS
ABOUT GREAT FALLS,
Increased Acreage--Pr of Large
Crops on the Bench Lands.

A representative of the LEADER took
occasion yesterday, it being beautiful
sunshiny, spring day, and having under
stood that there would be no services
held in his church, to jump into a car
riage and take ride about the far ms on
the bench lands near Great Falls. South
east Of Great Falls he discovered that o,,r
friend John Glass, who raised splendid
crops of timothy and grain on his ranch
last year, is making extensive arrange
ments to put in a crop this year. Frank
Huy has large field of grain, covering
we should estimate about 20 acres. A
little farther north Gibson and Vaughn
are putting in a field of 80 acres in wheat,
showing their confidence in raising this
crop upon the bench lands. North of
them we came to the farm of H. p.
Rolfe, who has raised successful crops
for the past five years without irrigation.
We found that he was breaking 10 acres
additional for the purpose of putting in
to grain, making 81 acres In all. A little
northeast of that point Mayor Gibson
had forty acres broken last fall and put
into wheat. The most sandy part of
this lies on Central avenue. Riding
northeast OF this point we passed by sew
eral fields the names of whose owners
were unknown to us. F. w. Dahlgreen
is putting in about 10 acres of grain.
This is the land upon which the fraudu-
lent desert entry of Mrs. Young is
placed. We passed this claim last fall
and judged by the crops there wasn't
much desert land about that section. Go
found that he was putting an addition to
his house, making five comfortable
rooms where his family will live during
the summer. Mr.. Wetzel raised good
crop last year. He has spring of good
water near the surface. Half mile
from this place we found the ranches of
w. l. Hickory and l.. w. Peck. Mr..
Hickory has fine we'll, finding water as
did Mr.. Wetzel and some others of his
neighbors within 10 feet of the surface.
This is the place where Mr.. Hickory
raised the mammoth crops of vegetables
which he brought into town last year.
Around all of these farm houses we saw
huge stacks of hay and grain. North
east of these places we saw large fields of
broken ground containing from 10 to 80
acres, showing that the ranchmen are
hard at work putting in their grain. Away
back we passed the field of Josiah Peep
er, of whose crops of vegetables and
grain in the dry year of 1886 we saw a
most complimentary notice in u mid
summer number of the Tribune of that
year. On the Phelps place 20 acres are
being put into wheat. This field has
produced 80 bushels of wheat to the
acre for several seasons. We passed by
the field of w. P. Wren which is said to
have been very productive one, and we
came to the residence of Will Hanks, who
like the others is engaged in putting in a
large field of grain. A little southeast of
this place we noticed that G. T. Day and
Captain Cochran were working turning
up the soil by proxy The Captain is
building large house and will have his
family in it in a few days, he having for
t,lnately secured first class ranch. On
all sides of our route we observed farm
ers busily at work. Should there he any
thing like fair year this season. there
will be double the amount of grain and
vegetables raised within five miles of
Great Falls that there has been hereto
fore. What is most assuring of the fer
tility of the bench lands is the fact that
the farmers who have tried these bench
lands are doubling their acreage Of brok-
en- ground for the coming year.