The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-06-27
Little Belt and Highwood.


twenty-five miles to the southeast
and thirty miles eastward and trav.
ersed by the living streams Of Sand
Coulee, Box Elder and Belt Creeks,
and the great Little Belt and High.
wood benches, and In this direct.
ion the settlement has principally
gone. This very extensive tract Of
rich rolling upla nds is now being fur.
rowed by the plow-share Of the gran
er, and for the first time Montana /,
receiving . class Of settlers exclusive
~ agricultural and depending on the
cultivation Of the soil for u livelihood
. distinguished from the .'rancher'
or ''old timer" who scorns to put
hands to the pillow, but depends on
the sure and ample profits derived
from the tens Of Thousands Of cattle,
horses and sheep which Craze at large
the year around on these grass-cov.
cred plains.
These men naturally view with
alarm the rapid appropriation Of
their pasture grounds by the granger
or grain farmer, but as the cultiva-
ton Of the land, both up-lands and
valley, north Of the Little and Great
Belt ranges has been amply shown
to be possible without irrigation, it
is only question Of time when the
great stock ranges OF Northern Mon
tana will become
The Great Wheat Ocean"
Of the future, and he given over to
the small farmer who will produce
both stock and grain, and depend in
Winter on feeding the offal OF the
grain field to his cattle, instead OF
on the range for Winter
feed, ~ is now the universal rule.
The incontestible proof Of actual
experience demonstrates that in
quality and yield Of wheat, oats and
barley this great plateau region has
no equal. A few days ago the Hold
erbaum brothers, the well-known
Polled-Angus breeders Of Iowa and
Messrs. Stanfield and Sons, OF Hills
dale, Mich. made personal tests Of
O,00O bushels Of No. hard in store
from the crop Of 1883 at Benton.
They took at random, struck half
bushel lots, and the test ranged for
the lowest weight, 65lbs. per bushel,
and for the highest test
68lbs. per bushel.
The yield Of this wheat was from
30 to 81 bushels per acre without irri-
cation. Is there Is not an irrigating
ditch within miles of Benton.
While these gentlemen were en-
gagged In testing the wheat, Mr.. An
drew Okerman, farmer on the high
wood bench lands, drove up with q
load Of oats raised on his farm, which,
when put under the test Of the
half bushel, they found the
Oats Weighed IS Lbs. per Bushel,
or as heavy as wheat in the states.
They were Of the white Welcome
variety, and the yield was from 80
to 100 bushels per acre. Mr.. Oker-
mans wheat yielded 81 bushels per
acre by weight.
The Messrs Holderbaum and STAN
field located on Government land in
Strawberry Valley, an immense ba-
sin Of rich land six miles west OF Ben
ton, and they are now East, prepar
ing for the transfer Of their effects to
the new home.
Grain raising Tested.
The success OF Mayor Paris Gibson
with seven consecutive crops on the
bench lands east of Great Falls, rs
also that OF Mr.. Clingan who has in
creased his acreage to $50 acres, as
we'll ~ that Of Mr.. Robert Vaughn,
has conclusively settled the question
Of grain raising without irrigation
there, and as . result of the efforts of
these pioneers in grain raising, an
increased acreage OF grain
has gone in to the ground in these
sections during the present season,
both ON sod and old ground. Re-
duced to its lowest terms there can
be no question AZ to the magnificent
productiveness Of Northern Montana
for the cereals.
Who Will Be Successfull
But let not the home-seeker sup
pose this an Eden, or that by some
means he can come to
this favored land and achieve q for
tune ION fiowery beds OF ease." 1t
requires hard work and persever-
mace to build up home on the vir-
gin soil. The first view of the coun-
try from the car window will be dis
appointing. 1t is true that great
herds OF cattle rolling in fat at the
end of Winter, and Of fiocks OF sheep
ready for the SHAMELESS. will be in
sight for miles before reaching Great
Fails. The great forests Of pine.
ind the purling brooks ara back on
he benches toward the distant
the beautiful spots Of
agriculture are few and far between
IN account Of the newness Of the