The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-01-04
AGRICULTURE IN MONTANA.
Contributed by Prof. Anderson

This Territory has a great variety =
SOILS and is capable of producing unlimj
teo crops of cereals, grasses and vegetable
such as may be grown in all the norther,
United States. Most of the southern an,
western parts of the Territory
| ARE VERY MOUNTAINOUS.
ana IN these the pursuit of agriculture
Will always be confined to the comnoro.
tSely harrow bottoms and low-lyino
benches where the soil is usually deer
ana rich. But on the high, bare hills
and benches nothing of this kind can In
oone; not so much because of the dryness
OF the country as because the soil is very
shallow and stony. These dry. stony
hills and benches, however, support a
considerable quantity of bunch grass and
ol"e-]o1nt, thus affording abundant pas-
torage for cattle and horses throughout
the year. In the bottoms the chief cro,s
appear TO be oats, wheat, timothy, red-ton.
'utnips' oeets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes
ana cabbages. Corn is not regular cron
In the r.
NORTHERN AND EASTERN
parts OF Montana the general features Of
the country are very different Here tho
country is vast rolling plain gradually
sloping east from the Rocky mountains
ms great plain is unbroken by any
mountain ranges and only interrupted bv
a few small isolated groups or buttes
but nevertheless it is abundantly watercd
and remarkably fertile. All kinds Of
eastern and middle States crops are 81 sue
cess, and choice garden productions rare
" fail. For the most part the soil is
composed of
\ RICH LOAN
With just enough clay admixture to mako
t lasting. The subsoil is a good bed Of
LAY which Keeps the moisture from sink
ng too far below the surface. At the
anne time the general "lay of the land'
such that perfect drainage is always
by nature, thus preventing
ne soil from getting heavy and sour.
Is not many years ago that this whole t
'erritory was considered
WORTHLESS FOR AGRICULTURAL
purposes. Its northerly state and the
bsence OF rain during the late summer
nd fall were against it. However, people
re learning to understand the general
haracterlstics OF the climate and work :"
'cordlngly. The results are magnificent =
ops OF all kinds and very few failures. :,
his unexpected success has infused =
reater zeal into our more progressive
'lrlted farmers, and they are in conse-
1ence branching out into fresh depart
ents OF meritorious production. Not :,
lie and perhaps more significant than "
y other new branch is that Of =. =.
TREE CULTURE =.
an extensive scale. 4 wonderful "
'akening has come to pass in this re- tr
ect. Farmers all over the northern pl
1T OF the Territory are planting thous- Ii,
ds OF trees and--what hardly any one
'uld have believed five years ago-the
es grow and thrive. No mawkish
nysgrowth do these trees exhibit: but Fl
wealth Of sap and hardy yigor III
FRUIT TREES III;
also attracting considerable attention WI
| it is certain that Or
ALL THE HARDER KINDS w
apples, pears, plums, ounces, etc, can s;>
cultivated here Small fruits of many
ieties are native. All we want is to in
luce good cultivated varieties to
are abundant supplies of these fine 5
its for home consumption as we'll AS lo!
fro
glorious future is ahead Of Montana left
griculture as well as in mining an,, tina
k raising. tur