The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-11-11
NJ Area of Agricultural Land Now
cultivated and That Available
Under Ditch Near Here.
> Northeastern Part of Montana Es-
sentially the Woodworking
Section of the State.
,rit and Quality. Not the Tariff. AZ
feet the Price Of Wool in East
ern Markets.

Herbert Haywood, an intelligent and
~seryant gentleman, has recently been
! this city engaged in writing up the re-
knrces of the section for various eastern
kpers. He devoted a letter to the wheat
lowing and wool industries of northern
hi northeastern Montana. and from
hat letter the TRIBUNE %reproduces the
Moving, which will be found of interest
| agriculturists and stockmen:
Only a few scattering and widely sep
rated valleys have been used for grain
moving, notably the Sun River valley
lad the Judith basin. Both of these
kscions are tributary to Great Falls.
but absolutely none of these cultivated
syess can be seen from the railroad which
As 50 recently entered this unexplorrd
country. 1t looks like the plains skirt
be- the eastern base Of the Rocky noun
kans in Colorado when the Union Pacific
kr:t built the line from Cheyenne to Den
her in 1872. The picture of that region
kOday. with the wheat districts OF Forts
Rollins and Greeley, covering a belt Of
kDn ten to twenty miles wide and sew
krty-iye miles long. is the best indica-
bon Of the latent possibilities Of thIspart
L Montana.
Wheat for the new Touring mill will
/ grown in the three large counties OF
|tis yicinity-Cascadc, in which this city
/ situated; Choteau to the north, and
to the east. The valleys Of this
Ection are well settled by ranChmen who
EIeady do a little farming in connection
Eth their sheep and cattle raising,
Among them the new mill and de
card for wheat next year have been
Vel advertised by announcements in
ta newspapers Of this city which circu-
|sT extensively in this section. They
b. informed that seed wheat of the best
D. l hard variety can be had at the
E.IIing company's headquarters.
Mr.. Paris Gibson. a prominent citizen,
pho WAS largely instrumental in bring,
be the mill to this city, is authority for
te statement that d farmers convention
pill soon be called TO consider the best
beans of undertaking systematic wheat
Lively interest is manifested by the
snchmen as evidenced by communica.
hons which they are sending to the
lewspapers. 1t has arrived at such a
point that they are looking over their
svailable area for cultivation and pre-
to pillow and plant in the early
spring as much acreage as possible.
This opens up the question. wv hat Is
tie present acreage under cultivation,
and the full capacity Of this section:'
Cascade county has 2l90 acres under
cultivation with an available area OF
1920 acres under ditch" that is, that
can be irrigated if necessary by present
ditch system.
ChOteau county has 1860 acres under
cultivation and 3Jl.0OO acres available
Under ditch.
Fergus county has ll.jlj acres under
cultivation and $685. acres available un-
der ditch.
A large part Of this "cultivated' area
Il In hay and is therefore not to be est
mated as under the higher order OF
grain culture. The remainder Is III
wheat, oats and vegetables for local on
sumption.
The ranchmen. they cannot yet he
:alled farmers, have aimed 10 produce
OILY what they needed for their own ~.
0f these products. and Il moderate su'-
Of wheat to be SOLD To- a To-" scatter
Ing flour mills through tins section I
paid them better t. devote ltelI
and attention t. 5""'p RAISING
The actual wheat product Tor TINS SEQ,
Ton for the present or any past year Eau.
bot be stated-no records having been
iept. 1t is estimated, however iHa'
about $1,000 bushels can be gathered lA-
10 the new elevator during the WlL'c'
3I the first grist mil. which Will pe-'"
March l. ..,
1t is not expected that Of the tola'
AMOUNT of wheat 100000 to 10000 busH-
needed for the first year 10 lecu inc
nil all can be grown here. but an! par
will be shipped here from Me7I-
.rn North Dakota. The extent 81 tnp
Sun river. Missouri liver. smith river
ild other valleys mentioned Is lh@l-N'l-
ant as compared with the vast eNpallse
the p~lateaus. and if the valleys a4oi''
are to be relied on they would Ne lua''c'
luate to supply the consumptjon 81 unr
lOpulation that centers in the to"Ls'
in the mining camps, ana H'' ."
he open plains. This forces into con
the great question 81 pehI4.
and farming. The area thus avallap!e
5 incalculable. In this part OF the slalr
/ extends in Il belt forty miles wide 1t,
he base of the ilighwood, Bell. ana
sOcky mountains for Il distance o' -,
niles in length. This makes no account
I the great grass covered piateaus ina
he Missouri flows through for HUNDREDS
u miles to the northeast. Apart or thi'
land skirting the mountains is al
'eady under ditch 10y means OF canals
eadinp from the Missouri, sun, an(
rivers. The greater portion Is no
% supplied. Similar natural rohuitio IN
lave been successfully hand'eu l tn'
base of the Rocky mountains IL
Colorado. ,,u,,
The average yield per airr " 'a,.e9
md bench lands, with and w'l''u. ~.
'ation, is claimed greatly 10 S\v'v" va, ,n'
.vo..- ALL. ,,;,ll il ~ I'll AllN NNNt