The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-04-23
BENCH LAND FARMING
What an Old-TiIDe Montana Rancbcr Has
to Say About II.

What an Old-TiIpe Montana Runchcr Has
to Say About II.
Mr.. f. f. Bywaters is one of the best
bench land farmers in northern Mon
tdna. A TRIBUNE representative met
him yesterday and, in answer to a ques-
ton, said:
The outlook is good for farmers this
year. My grain is up and doing finely
l have peas that are growing and doing
well. Those who plant early will make
good crops. Late planting may do in
favorable seasons, but it is risky unless
one has plenty of water at command"
what do you think of northern Mon
tana soil:' queried the reporter.
"As fine and as prolific as | ever saw.
In the first place the land is easily pillow
ed, II team. of averaged sized horses
being able to break the ground. No
sod forms upon our bench lands. The
soil is a fine loan. very friable and rests
upon a porous clay subsoil that Absorb S
and retains water like "a sponge. 1t is
extremely fertile and will outyield in
favorable seasons any lands | ever
farmed. Give north Montana ranchers
water for irrigation and they can produce
larger and finer vegetables and grains
than any country l was ever in. Even
without irrigation when the snow fall
has been heavy or when early spring
rains have been abundant. and the mois-
ture has reached down to the subsoil ex-
c%ellent crops can be produced without
irrigation. This was fully shown last
year. Take it all in all | would not give
the lands around Great Falls, as farming
lands, for any others east or west of the
state
How about the market, Mr.. By
waters!'
I'VE have the best in the United
States. Where can one find a market
like Butte or Great Falls or Neihart or
Barker for farm products! To be sure
these places do not consume so much of
farm outputs as New York and other
large eastern cities but they pay ranch
ers much better prices than eastern
farmers get. Now think of this. Right
here in Great Falls our merchants IN
port butter. cheese. eggs bacon. poultry.
beans and much of the flour consumed
here. This is all wrong. The
money that goes out to pay for these ar
tlcles should remain here and will re-
main here when the great possibilities of
our bench lands shall be fully known.
You newspaper men don't pay enough
attention to this matter. Thousands of
dollars go out of this city every year for
the very farm products which we can
profitably raise here"
"That is true, Mr.. Bywaters but a
great many people C me here and after
looking around upon our bare bench
lands they 60 away believing nothing
can be raised here, or something would
be shown to prove it. 1t is hard to lariat
such men and lead them to cultivated
fields because you don't know who they
are. what they want or where they 60"
That's so" said the gentleman. "But
there Is a way TO reach them. Your
board OF trade that is doing so much
good for the city and the PEG
pie in and around it could send
out q fcw Thousand little leaf
lets devoted to bench land farming
alone. giving description Of soil. of mnn-
ncr OF cultivation. crop yields and mar
ket prices OF farm. dairy, and poultry
products. Men who are wearing out
ia Fir lives to gain a living for their fam
lies on the impoverished lands in some
Of the nearer eastern states would be
glad to make a change in their homes
and markets and come here"
The reporter turned to go.
"See here called Mr.. Bywaters, If
you see a man who wants proof of what
northern Montana lands can yield send
him out to my ranch on Sand Coulee.
lie will no longer be a doubling Thomas.
by the way. come out yourself after
awhile. New potatoes and green peas
will be along about the Fourth of July"
added the gentleman AS hc turned home
ward.