The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-01-24
Tuesday. January II. 1893.


BoZeman has been heard from again
on the agricultural college question.
urging a new and decidedly novel argu
ment in favor of the selection Of Boze.
man as the place Tor the college. As
both the Bozeman papers speak in con
cert on this matter. we have no douh.
that il has had a careful consideration
by the committee who have sanctioned
its use. Lest We may he accused Of
garhling the utterances Of our connpeti
tors IN this contention. We give below
h exact language If each paper. So far
as il is @ermain. Real first from the
Chronicle. in the language Of our es-
teemed brother ierkcs, who years ago
spent a few months in Miles City. and
has a tague idea that there is some
where in this vicinity a locality known
as Pumpkin creek. Hear him:
We regret yer, much 70 have to OF
pose Miles GINS aspirations for the
agricultural col ege. II SO happens that
this is the inst ugion that Bohemian has
wanted for several years, and the insti
tuition this valley ought 70 have by all
the argument that is reasonable. Miles
City has bee "A able to produce water
melons. corr. pumpkins. tomatoes and
other vegetables. some of which. it is
true. cannot be raised in this valley. or
elsewhere IN the state for that matter.
Miles City S 1900 feet lower than Roze-
a and FOR that reason is not SO liable
to early frosts. But for this very reason
Miles Gil, is not a suitable place for the
agricultural college. The experiments
made there would be of no possible ben
II TO tie rest of the state. where the
climate and other conditions are wholly
different. An experimental station must
be at IA point where it will do the great
est good to the greatest number. An
agricultural college at Miles City would
TIE onl. advantageous to the very few
farmers on Pumpkin creek who can get
water On their land: the .dlaGee of the
state could not take advantage of the
experiments made at this point.
Now ierkes is young and hot headed.
and it might be argued that in his re
for Bozeuan. and his limited experience
as an agricultnrist, he had teen led to
say something that he did not mean. but
no such plea can be made for the astute
and widely experienced Major Anderson.
who in the last issue Of the Courier not
only adopts the same line Of defense. but
backs it up with some very queer state
ments. The major in his diplomacy
onits any notice Of Miles City as d com
p%etitor. but in his delft style. lets Us
know lie is talking abot,. lis. We take
pleasure in quoting lin rs FLOWS:
There is 10 question as to the eniire
adartahilit. Of the lower attitudes of
Montana 10 mos; ri tie agricultural and
horticultural products in ordinary de
mand and use both the climate and !,
soil. with artificial irrigation. being man
ifestly favorable II the rapid growth
and maturity Of all such cereals, ge2e.a-
bles. fruits and flowers AS are produced
under the fs.ost favorable conditions il
any Of the middle states bordering on
the upper Mississippi. Such are the
limited agricultural areas of the Nilsson
la, Bitter Root. i'lathead and lower Vel
lowsfoae valleys. the respective attitudes
of which are far below the more rXtea-
slte and important bodies o. agricultural
anGs drained hy the t,aIlatin. Na3i-
son. Jefferson aud upper Yellowstone
rivers and their nufuerons tributaries.
This elegant tribute 10 the fertility of
the lower attitudes * sumeU hat mafrei
by the extraordinary his statement 81
the concluding paragraph. but when "A
newspaper man gets himself in Il box
like this. ne has simply got to get out Of
1T. nc matter how. and it certainly looks
as if the major didn't care much. Of
course everybody knows that the great
agricultural areas are in the lower ali
tndes Of this state. and thai the acreage
is largely in excess Of the mountain pla
teaus.
IT seems therefore that because Miles
City is 300 feet moi 1000 lower than
Bozeman. that because it can grow
many useful and even necessary pro
ducts that canine be grown in the Gal
latin valley. that because we are less liza
BILE 10 early frosfs here than there. that
Miles City is not a proper place for the
agricultural college for the reason that
at the experimental farm We wouidg grow
and mature products that cannot be
grown on the mountain tope. Per con
ira, Bozeman is the ideal location for
the college and farm because anything
thai can be grown there can be grown
anywhere else in the state. But were
this idea followed. what would be the
range of agricultural products developed
by the experimental farm Barley,
wheat. Strawberries IF they escaped the
June ~frostsl. potatoes and hay. Any
thing else Hardly. ],
These are the conditions that must be
considered by the legislature in making
a selection for the college. Bozeman
been strictly in it. as an agricultural
county. for over twenty years, and We
named the range of her products. ;
Miles CITY commenced only two ue,re !