Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1889-02-06
LAND FOR ALL.
THE RICHNESS OF THE MILK RIVER
VALLEY.
Interesting Letter of Professor Anderson
ON Our Agricultural Interests
Great Falls at the
Front,

Especial Correspondence of the TR1BUNH]
ST.. PAUL, Minnesota, January Sd, 1889.
1t is nearly six years since last saw
either st. Paul or Minneapolis. Both
cities have grown marvelously. Ridicu-
lous as it seems to fools and narrow
guage individuals, felt that some day,
doubtless within this generation, too, Our
own city, Great Falls, will be what these
cities are now. Her wonderful resources
scattered by nature so lavishly around her
will do more in 10 years for Great Falls
than the surroundings of st. Paul and
Minneapolis have done for them. The
resources are obvious to all who know
the conditions Of these cities.
It will seem strange to many of your
readers who have so long labored under
the impression that Montana is bleak
wilderness of bowling prairies and Ice
bound mountains, to learn the fact that /
saw no snow on the prairies except little
wasted heaps that had drifted into the
coulees, until the Dakota line was reach
ed. The Montana ranges looked splendid
ly with their thick carpet of natural hay.
As for stock Of all kinds, I never saw
them in finer condition! The cattle, as
we'll as the horses, looked as sleek and
shiny as if they had been curried regu-
larly every day all fall; and they looked
as fat as If they had been in nice warm
stable all winter, instead Of roaming at
random on the open ranges.
When we had got little way into
Dakota, we saw no more large heads of
stock, although there were no fences, and
apparently very little population. When
we got half way across, however, settle
ments and out-]aying farms became
more numerous. The country is to all
appearances, a very fine one, but does not
compare with Montana. Ii has not the
the great variety of Typographical fea-
lures that Montana has, hence, cannot
possibly have the same variety and multi
tude of natural resources. One thing
rathered puzzled me, although it might
not if l fully understood the customs of
Dakota, and that was to see thousands of
haystacks on the prairie quite unpro-
tected by any fence whatever, and yet
seemingly quite safe from the enormous
appetites of range horses and cattle.
There is some localities, saw, probably
over a thousand stacks In one field and
not horse or steer In sight.
THE MILK RIVER VALLEY.
I must not forget to tell you what l
thought Of the Milk river valley region.
OF course if was impossible for me to see
very much, because I came straight
through without stopping off here and
there for few days to look about me.
Here we have region very like our own
in many respects. It is not SO high as
ours however. 1t ought to have abund-
ance of moisture In the soil as we'll as a
generous rain fall. The soil so far as l
could see, is rich and capable of produc-
ing the best kind of grain. A, never
falling proof Of rich soil and sufficient
degree of moisture is to find the surface
Of the soil covered thickly by blue joint
or grand grass. Where the growth of
grass is sparse, it Isl sure sign of one of
three conditions: first, the bedrock is on
or near the surface and the soil in con-
sequence is very thin and use
less for agriculture; second, or
the ground is very sandy and
its surface inclined to be shifting, thus
rendering it impossible for the ordinary
grasses to take root and grow; third, or
else the surface is a stiff, hard clay, which
Is not only hard on the surface, but dry
as we'll. Now, in the Milk river region I
saw none of these indications. Every
where the growth of grass was very fine.
NEW WHEAT BELT.
In connection with this subject I would
call the attention of your readers to a
fact mostly overlooked, even by old, re-
liable farmers, and this fact is that where
ever the ordinary pastoral grasses grow
successfully, there also, with equal suc-
cess, may be grown No. hard wheat and
the finest Of rye, barley and oats. All Ut
these are grasses and need the same or
similar conditions of growth that other
grasses require. Most persons will be
astonished at this and say: "Why, wheat,
oats, rye and barley are grains, not
grasses" Ha, ha! my friend, grasses are
grains and grains are grassesl If you
would examine the seed of the smallest
grass you would, In most cases, find it a
minute imitation of rye or wheat in gen
eral shape and appearance. / speak OF
| tulS uoT0, UoCHuSo Gll0 Juliet udy d very
Intelligent and we'll educated person very
politely informed me that "wheat is a
grain; it isn't grass"
GOOD SOIL.
| The Milk river valley ought not tc
need irrigation, but some are afraid that
it will. At any rate the whole region, SC
far as soil is concerned, is perfect In
the near future there won't be bit Of
land in the valley proper left for settle
ment.
All along the line heard opinions
expressed very freely about Great Falls
I never heard any town receive such al
most universal praise as Great Falls re-
ceived. Being stranger most of the
way along the line, was able to judge
somewhat OF the candid and impartia
spirit generally evinced by the public
Great Falls is in everyone's head and OF
everyone's tongue. Three cheers for oul
noble little city!
4 leave here for Washington at 1880 p
m. today. F. W. ANDERSON.
A Marrow Escape.
Col. W. K. Nelson, came home on,
evening, feeling peculiar tightness il
the chest. Before retiring, he tried to draw
a long breath but fond it almost impossi
BILE. He suffered four days from pneu
monia, and the doctors gave HIM up. D.
: Acker's English Remedy for Consumption
saved him and he is well to-day. For sal