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

mixed farming is still in its infancy In the
Missouri river valley. 40 il is in other SEQ
tions of Montana, but il has passed beyond
the experimental stage. Up to last season
all the apples grown In the val
ley woe sold ct good figures in
the Townsend market and the supply
did not mot a small part OF
the demand. Some Of the farmers in the
valley who are engaged in apple-raising are
Messrs. Pickering, Stafford. Johns. Perkins
Wells and Heating. While their orchards are
young they are sufficiently matured to set
tie the question that apples can lie raised
for profit in the Missouri river valley. No
country can produce better tomatoes than
are grown in the valley. They are large
and firm, OF the genuine "beefsteak' VT
rIety. and the farmers have just come to
realize that they Offer as good. il not better
returns. than the crops to which they have
devoted their attention almost exclusively
in this past. The Missouri river melons.
also, cannot be excelled. and while no one
has attempted to raise them even in sufi-
cient quantity to supply the local markets.
their cultivation has passed beyond the ex-
perimental stage. All the small fruits are
a success. and some Of the farmers have
quite q business in the manufacture and
sale of wine made from them. Those who
nave devoted attention to strawberries ind
q ready sale for all of their product in the
Townsend market and the adjacent mining
camp of ST. Louis.
The first settlement was made in the
spring of 1865. Those early farmers soon
found that the cereals, potatoes and hay
were a sure crop; that there was always a
market at remunsrative prices for all they
could raise, even before the coming OF the
Northern Pacific railroad. and SO they
staid by these orops. With the railroad
now settlers came in, and while they also
raised the cereals and potatoes. they
branched out q little and began to prove
the adaptability Of the soil and climate for
other PRODUCTS. Some of the more venture
some even went so far as leave tho bottom
lands. 20 up on the first bench lands and
attempt to till there. Greatly to the sur
| prise Of those who had believed the higher
lands were only adapted for grazing. some
of these high land farmers raised more to
the acre than the bottom lands produced;
the experiment was tried TO. several years
with tho result that 1t WAS demonstrated
that the high lands were in every respect
the equal and in some the superior of the
lower lands. But there was one drawback.
Some seasons. when IL was not neces-
sary to irrigate, the high lands were
all right. But there were others
when there was not sufficient
rainfsil to raise even hay. A Montana
farmer always counts upon a crop every
wear; the market may not be all he would
like it after the harvest, but he is always
sure of his crop at any rate. This the
bench farmers could not count upon. But
there was ample water In the country to
i.rigate tho high lands. and after their
fertility had been demonstrated beyond all
doubt capital came in, and within q year
the problem of successful farming and
sure crops on the bench lands in the Mis-
souri, river valley will be solved.
About ten years ago several gentlemen
who realized the agricultural possibilities
of tho Missouri river valley bench landi
organized and incorporated the Townsend
Land and Irrigation company. Work wal
begun ON the construction of q canal il
1892, and 1t will be completed in 1894. It il
a high line canal. and il designed to cove
the first tler Of bench lands. 1t is takel
out of the Missouri river, three mile
above Tostop. and whom completed will bt
twenty seven miles long. running nortl
along the foothills. II will carr.
40, 600 inches of water. and viii
add to the tillable land Of tn
valley 10000 ncree. The canal. work OF
which is now actively progressing. is TWEEN
ty-six feet on the bottom. At places fft,
!, feet wide on the top, and at no place les
, than thirty-fve feet wide on tor. It will
, cost whom completed from $50. GOO to 300.
600. The stock il owned In Helena ant
Townsend. T. H. Kleinsohmidt, of Helena
being The president. w. Z. Tisrney, o
Townsend. vice-president. and H. s. Hyatt
b of Townsend, secretary and treasurer. II
addition to tho canal, the company pro
i, loses to build reservoirs higher uo in tn
hills, storing the water obtained from noun
tain streams, to be used on the higher land
above the canal.
When the canal IL completed it viii
. throw open to settlement two hundred an
. sixty 160-ac1e farms. on which can b
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