The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-21

| reached a point where tie success of the
crop. in addition to its dependency upon
| the tickle and uncertain skies. is question
of fer.ilizing. In looking over the fields of
our state we find that where any care what
ever is exercised the lands retain their orig
lnal fertility, and there are cases where it is
improved BY cultivation. The method
adopted in Montana, instead of sowing the
is simply to own double as much land as
one desires to crop, and farm his fields al
ternate years. It lie the custom generally
to also summer fallow the rested fields or
at least fall pillow them, since this is neces-
sary to insure an early seeding and
sure crop to have the lands to be seeded
IN the spring all prepared before the ground
freezes in the fall. Lands treated in this
manner do not deteriorate.
There are. however, other influences that
assist in keeping up the fertility. The
most of the soil is gravellv and contains
mineral compound that dissolves with Gull
tivation and adds substance to the land.
Our best wheat Soils for instance, are filed
with carbonate of lime that is decomposin9
yearly. Water is also great fertilizer,
and the simple flooding of the land not on
ly deposits valuable matter but assists the
work OF decomposing the mineral elements
of the soil.
Thus it will be seen there is a permanent
cy about our agriculture not found i'll coun-
tries that even to the eye of many might
seem more inviting, and it is fact. also,
that the possibilities of Montana farming
are not fully developed. The area will not
| only be increased an hundred fold but
many things now not deemed adapted to
the climate will be produced with great sue
cess.
The early settlers of the country had no
faith in its possibilities for crop growing
| and the first crops we're confined to potatoes,
wheat and oats, and it required some ex-
,Qr i'm ytiu tn Iv,cu 0hnva
their simple necessities. But the work has
gradually gone on until even good
fields of buckwheat are being
raised and the barley product
stands highest in the brewing world of any
among the states of the union.
Success in horticulture is marvel. Al
though the country abounded in wild small
fruit when our pioneers first arrived, yet
many doubted if these things could be sue
cessfully produced in our cultivated gar
dens, and fully one-third of the people
characterized the experiments in standard
fruits as money thrown away and time lost
Yet for all that the standard fruits of the
hardy varieties of a very superior quality
are grown, and small fruit is more prolific
than in most any other portion of the con-
tinent except Utah. The rural people have
in fact almost become self-sustaining
time will come when they will
will be able to produce supply for the
state. Small fruit is already growing in
sufficient quantity to be converted into
wine, and currant wine, the product of the
mountain garden, is to be found at every
first-class bar in the state. Market gar
dening is a most successful branch of Mon
tana husbandry, and the strawberry is q
wonderfully successful crop.
The poultry yard and dairy herd are also
branches of our agriculture that are not
much written about, but they bave always
ov>% Al
economy Of the Montana farmer. The
ability to sell eggs in summer from 10 cents
to 30 cents per dozen and for 40 cents per
dozen in winter, and chickens from IS to
50 per dozen, the price varying according
to the age of the fowls is all the recon-
mendation this branch of the
farm industry needs. Butter and cheese
are also in ready demand the year round,
and the farmer with five or ten cows is not
slow to realize that there is living for the
family. and perhaps a little more, in selling
butter at from 30 cents to 40 cents pei
pound the year round.
Yet, inviting as this may seem and as ex-
cellent as are the facilities that Montana
offers for this industry train loads of butter
| and cheese are shipped in annually from
the older states. One Of the great advan-
| tages that Montana offers her agricultural
population is home market, adequate to
consume every article of produce raised ex-
cept beef, mutton and wool. These must
yet be sent abroad, though in the fullness
OF time when the mineral resources are de-
veloped and her manufacturing advantages
are utilized, and her wool product Is kept
at home and manufactured into fabric
ready for use before shipping, her beef and
mutton will all be needed at home.
Any farmer will readily understand what
a ready home market means, and how for
tunate it is to be the possessor of such.
There is another point which should not
be lost sight OF in connection with the ad,
vantages of the Montana rural home, and
that is the beauty with which every home
may be adorned. The pilgrim from the
land of broad leaved trees in the eastern
states is apt to think our valleys present
somewhat of marked appearance, for
they are scarcely prepared to see so much
prairie as is found on the eastern slope of
the Rocky mountains in this state.
But the truth is, Montana has some of the
most beautiful homes to be found in the
world. There are miles and miles of farms,
unbroken save by the pillow furrow and irri-
eating ditch, and we have in mind at this
writing hundreds OF homes nesting as 1t
were with their backs against the mount
aims and stretching away, as gently slopinR
| and as beautiful as the eye could wish to
behold. At the back lie the rugged mount
aims with their sublimity and romance, and
their matchless summer pastures, while the
fields and meadows spread away over the
gentle sloping plain.
| As to the groves. ETC., that adorn our
Montana homes, that is Il matter of enter
prise with the owners. Sometimes but very
rarely they are furnished by nature
| but where nature has failed they may be
supplied by art with all ease. How many
green tree bordered homes now grace oul
valleys that but few years ago were tree
| less and were fenceless. Protected from
stock and fire. and supplied with moisture
trees ornamental and useful, grow with
amazing rapidity.
While We have fallen short of enumerat
ing all the advantages that Montana offers
for carrying ON the time-honored labor Of
agriculture, we do not claim of the state
that it is a veritable Garden of Eden, but w
do feel that in the twenty FIVE years
Of the settlement its rural people have
prospered probably beyond those of any
other state or territory in the American I'M
ion, and to-day. Notwithstanding the unfa-
vorable conditions of the past three sea
sons, are blessed with plenty, and. We
might say, with abundance. And We VEN
ture to say further that nowhere beneath
the shining sun can there be found a rura
people. of like number. SO we'll fixed fnan-
cially, with SO few of their farms mort
gagged, or who enjoy more of the goot
things of life. who sit down to better meal
three hundred and sixty-ive days in tn
year, or who enjoy better health, are NOR
q rugged and hearty, more thrifty and hon
est. or who are more contented, er Joy Inf
better or are more happy.
4 Green Vegetables.
!: Cauliaower, lettuce and Kalamazoo Gel
cry. LINDSAY d Co.
| ~ and Edvards atraet