Great Falls tribune., 1889-03-20
BENCH LANDS.

HuSbandman on DenCll luuu lailhih5'
discusses the subject calmly and logical
" with the view of setting right Editor
Sutherlin, whose services to Montana ag-
rlculture he duly appreciates. Mr. Glib
son asserts thai in large areas OF land IN
northern Montana crops OF wheat ana
oats can be successfully grown one year
with another without irrigation lie
noints out that "the bench lands between
Fort Benton and Highwood and from
Fort Benton to Great Falls and also from
Great Falls to Belt river, as we'll as the
great plateau between the Missouri ana
Teton rivers, have rich, mellow soil,
underlaid by clay and are among the
choicest and richest lands in northern
Montana. The roots of grain sown on
these lands easily strike down to the
moisture which cannot penetrate the clay
subsoil, thus supporting the growing
crops when the surface is dry
Facts are stubborn things. According
". Mr.. Gibson marshals some which up
set the position assumed by Mr. Snther-
lin. who has not been here since 1SG6,Wheh
the Indians doubtless rendered the area
of his tour very limited. The Indians
are now as extinct as the buffalo, so far
os Great Falls is concerned, and Mr. Glib
son courteously invites Editor Sutherlin
to come here and see for himself next
summer.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Gibson sums up his
own experience in these words: "During
the past seven years have raised large
crops of oats and wheat every year with
out irrigating my lands. The area Of
land cultivated by me has ranged from a
to 200 acres each year, and am no"
seeding 200 acres, mostly with hard Fife
wheat. During the period Of my grair
growing in Montana I have never hac
rusted or blighted grain. Three years
ago this summer, when we had no sprlns
rains, it being the dryest season know
by the oldest inhabitant,' | raised ]!
bushels of wheat to the acre on benci
land near Great Falls, which had beer
plowed the second time, and there was
field of oats within mile and half o
my field, which gave IS bushels to tn
acre. With the exception of this dr.
year my bench land fields have invariabl
Welded 25 to 40 bushels of wheat to til
acre. For 20 years from 1858, l was III
timately connected with wheat GROWN
in Minnesota, and during all that tim
when wheat growing was at its best
that state, l never knew such continuous
ly good results as I have seen here
northern Montana the past seven year
, More than this, have never seen ar
!, country east Of Montana where the col
ditions are as favorable for wheat groV
ing as in northern Montana. l will all
a assert, that in my opinion, in the gra
a growing countries Of the world the whe
q crop suffers more from too much moistu
than from an insufficient supply. III
rain fall in northern Montana during t
n past seven years has averaged about t
e which on our bench lands is amply suff
lent to mature wheat and oats when SOY
e early, as they should be in all northe
o ATTITUDES. After July the more rains t
/ greater is the danger Of rust and damag
Il grain. Fortunately it seldom rains he
q in August and titus we have perfe
e harvest season."
, Mr.. Gibson refers the editor to su
g veteran farmers as Robert Vaughn, E.
y Bywaters, Jared Smith, Nelson Shephe
n and James M. Arnoux for more light
the subject and closes with this empha
l. statement: "This subject has command
J. much of my attention since l came
n Montana and every year has confirm
80 my faith in the great agricultural
8 sources of this part of the territory.
my judgment the time is near at ha
when northern Montana will rank amo
the foremost of all the wheat growi
regions Of our country, and it is also
judgment that the irrigation of tn
~ lands will be thing almost unknown.
,f I 1t is noteworthy that opinions such
" Mr.. Sutherlin expresses were once h
~ in California which yielded 30,426,'
- bushels in 1887. Senator Stanford 50
N "We never knew when we came here t
~ we could grow wheat and for long ii
., a. obtained that commodity from Chill,
~ at the same time wild grass was grow
- up to the saddles of the horses as
-, ~ rode along in California. We finally
- - gan to grow wheat, but thought it col
~ not be done without irrigatlon;exl
of ience showed us that IN very many ca
r. no irrigation at all was required to mi
,. crop. | was long time persuad
Ia Brigham Young to grow some VIII
without going to the expense and labor
ditching and irrlgating. He reluctan
p tried the experiment and found it CT
n plete success" As we said before fa
A. are stubborn things and will prevail.
Is
is We observe that the "claims' of the
Il itor of the Arizona Kicker have b.
If overlooked in connection with the u