Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1895-08-08
THE TREASURE STATE.
The State Bureau Of Agriculture, Labor and
Industry Issues Excellent Pamphlet.

This office il i'm receipt of apamph-
let recently issued by the j. II. Mills.
commissioner of agriculture labor
and industry of the state entitled
Montana. The Treasure State" 1t
is one Ofthe best tdescriptivepa
we have ever seen and reflects great
credit upon the competitors. Being
intended especially for immigrants
it treats of our resources concisely,
but accurately and thoroughly. The
several titles are as follows: How
to- Reach Montana. How to Obtain
Government Lands; The Climate and
HYGIENE Conditions: Mineral Devel-
Opment and Productions; Stock and
Woolgrowing Industries: Agricul-
tual Products and Conditions; Irri-
eating STRAINS and Description al
Principal Industries. Resources, etc.
by Counties: Cost of Living: Market
Prices: Population; Railroads; Church
and school Facilities; Property
Values: Indebtedness; Taxation, etc.
etc.
We give below an excellent descrip-
ton of Fergus county which appears
therein:
The area of Fergus County il 6,762
square miles. 1t il named In honor
of Hon. James Fergus. one of
the pioneers Of the State. AL
though nearly central it is the only
county i'm the State yet entirely with
out railroad communication. but ii
il not probable that condition will
long exist. Lewistown, the county
seat, has n population of 800 tn ], 900,
and has stage communication with
the Great Northern and Northern
Pacific railroads. There are a num-
ber of small, thrifty towns i'm the
county with school and church
facilities. The population Of the
county ia about 5,aOO. The lands ol
the county are diversified, valley
upland and mountains. 1T In splen.
didly watered by streams rising
principally In the Great Snowy and
Belt mountains. The principal
valleys are the Judith, Big Spring
Warm Spring and their tributaries
The elevation of these valleys range,
from 4.4OO feet The principal indus
try, and that to which attention
has been chiefly directed, is stocl
growing. 1t is n splendid pastOra
county. In 1885 there were taxed
:sS3. .72l sheep 1.-THE largest number II
any county and One-sixth the entir
number i'm the State,) IS, ,46S head n
stock cattle, and II. .594 head of horses
The wool, beef and mutton sheel
exports of the county are very large
and the agricultural productions ar
important.
The area of tillable lands is quit
large and the cultivated area cOul
he greatly increased. The soil of tn
cultivated lands is rich loan rang
ing from one to ten feet i'm deptl
Wheat, oats, barley, blue join
timothy and alfalfa and all til
vegetables and root crops yield wei
Small fruits grow i'm all the valleys
and some apples and plums al
grown i'm the Judith. The snow fa
is usually about ten to twelve inche
Irrigation is necessary, althoug
some areas under the Snowy mOuI
tains are cultivated i'm winter whes
without. Hay, oats and potatOs
are considered the best paying crop
FIGURING mills would largely increa,
the wheat production. Princip'
local market points are LewistOwl
Gilt Ddge, Maiden and Utica. Son
\ productions are marketed at Gres
Falls, Belt Arlington, Neihart an
Barker Fuel and fencing ia general
procured one to ten miles from farm
Lumber costs $l5 to SIG and brio
$11 to $l3 per thousand, 1t isstatt
: there are still tillable lands whe
water can be diverted at small e
pense, and there are apportuniti
for larger bitches or canals tn dive
water and reclaim lands with gOe
b prospects of fair return on the inves
ment. Farming lands, fairly II
Iproved, with water rights, can
purhased at 4la to- $lS per acre
different parts of the county. IT