The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-04
MISSOURI VALLEY FARMING.

The fertility of the land in the Missouri
valley and the prosperity of the farm
ers located there is we'll known to all old
time Montanians. as we'll as to a majority
of the new-timeYs; but q fact not so we'll
is thu not to exceed one-fourth of
tho tillable land in the valley IL under
cultivation. With worry few exceptions the
crops grown consist of wheat, oats and hay.
TIE old settlers have grown rich on those
lines; almost all of them own q bunch of
stock or a band of horses; there has always
been a good market for the products named
at excellent prices md the majority Of the
farmers have not felt it necessary to 90
beyond those lines in order to gain a COM
petence. As n result the capacity of the
Missouri river valley lands to raise diversi.
fed crops has been forced to the back
ground, But some of the settlers have
tried mixed farming and with such good
results that the attention of capitalists has
section that has only supplied oats, wheat,
hay and potatoes will be shipping to tho
larger cities nearly all those products Of the
farm that now come from outside the
borders Of Montana.
The Missouri river valley Is forty miles
long, with an average width of eight miles,
Townsend being the supply and shipping
point. The Northern Pacific railroad rms
through it, giving the farmer the advantage
Of railroad transportation for bis crops
without a long wagon haul TO a station.
The valley contains 80. 900 acres Of tillable
land, of which not to exceed 1O,O 600 acres
are now under cultivation. The portion
now cultivated ia in the bottoms, while the
higher lands are used for grazing purposes.
Some few farmers, who nave located on
these higher lands, even without irrigation
have raised CROPS equalinR those produced
in the bottoms. The lower lands produce
the cereals, oats averaging fifty bushels to
tho acre on new land, and wheat thirty
bushels. The higher lands have been
proved to be admirably adapted to the
growing of melons. tomatoes and
other crops OF that character, in ad
dition to the cereals. There are no high
line irrigating canals as yet in operation.
and no one canal Of considerable size in
the valley. The lower lands are %abundantly
supplied with water from the Irish. Lloyd &
Mcknight. Doggett, Deep creek and Other
bitches, all taken from the Missouri river
The soil is q rich black loan, containing
little if any alknli. 1t is not a shallow
soil, because in digging wells the farmer
get water at q depth of sixteen feet and ar,
not below the loan. Thu average altitud,
of the valley is 3. 800 feet IN the climate il
not severe. the mountains that surround i
on all sides protecting it from the YER
cold winds. Seed ng is almost invariabl,
commenced in February. Statistics shov
that there is produced in the Missouri rive
valley three times the amount of wheat n
double the quantity Of oats per acre in Wis
consin, while crops are almost q sure thing
the only failure in the history of the vale
being the result of a grasshopper visitation
several years ago.
Experience has proved that there can b
grown in the Missouri river valley an,
thing that is raised in the middle western
states. with the added advantage of ia
greater productiveness per acre. 1t is no
SO many years ago that the assertion wa
made that apples conld not be grown il
Minnesota. Now the apples raised in tina
state are shipped all over the country
More recently the statement WAS made tha
they could not be grown in Montana. Their
are n dozen men in the Missouri River val
ley who have proved the falsity Of this q
] ~ser.ion. and who to-day are raising apple
for profit, having bearing orchards {
t greater or less extent This branch {