The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-21
AUTUMN'S GOLDEN HUES
The Hum of the Moving Machine
Is Heard in the Land.
SNIFF NEW M0WN HAY
When the Blush Is or the Peaches and
the Melons Ful of Meat, Then the
Garden Sass Is Luscious and
the Bitter Root Is weet

Missoula, July 20.-The bright green OF
the hills and valleys thai has made
Western Montana resemble a vast gar.
den for the pleasant weeks that have
followed the dive of Spring, has given
place in the landscape TO the gold and
yellow that betoken approaching har-
vest. The ripening grain hangs heavy
on its stalks and the immense yield of
hay waves in the summer wind, ready
for the mower. The change in the pre-
vailing hue is not unpleasant, although
it indicates the dvanc of the summer
1t is the herald of harvest and the far
mer is glad. Here and there in the
panorama hat passes before the eye
of the traveller as he rides along the
valleys of this section are still broad
stretches of green, where some late crop
of grain or a field of peas or clover still
holds its color. despite the ripening heat
of the July sunshine. which has been
busily at work for the farmers all
through this month. The thrifty farmer
takes no note of changing landscape or
transformation in color effects. He is
too busy just now.
All the way from the lower Missoula
valley, where the farmer is crowding
back the picket line Of the pine forest,
through the broad, open plain of Grass
valley and the spreading meadows of
the Bitter Poot, tn ann of the mower
is heard snd high sticks of hay are
rising where. a week ago, tall grdss
waved N tie sunshine before the fra
grant breeze. The farmer anu his sons
and all Of til. men tdGt Ie can collect
are hustling to get the hay cut and
stacked away before his grain demands
his attention. 1t will keep all hands
busy. for the crop this year viii be a
record breaker. The big crop of 'SS has
been the favorite theme of old-time far
mers for he past decade, blu the yield
of '9s will soon supplant it in the cross
roads discussions and the institute talks.
There will be more hay and grain cut
in these valleys this year than has ever
been harvested before. The hay crop IL
already assured and the grain Is so far
advanced that there is not much doubt
of it's success. The farmer is in his
glory and the dealer in moving ma
hin wears a smile that is only limited
by the fact that he cannot supply the
demand for mowers and reapers.
The fruitgrowers share i'm the preva-
lent happiness that is epidemic in West
ern Montana. They have had a remark
ably successful small fruit season and
the strawberry shipments have exceeded
all previous records. They are now pick
ing raspberries and currants and get
ting ready for early apples. The or
| chards never looked as well as they do
this year and there viii be apples n
pears i'm abundance. The plum crop is
short this season. Just how man APP
plies will be shipped from the valley
this year is still a matter of conjecture.
but the conservative estimates of eX-
49,. -In,a shA aaan - ( ma n a
thousand boxes ahead Of last years
large crop. The product of the Pine
Grove farm alone will exceed 10000
boxes.
The yield of grain per acre that has
been recorded i'm past seasons by the
valleys of the Bitter Root, Missoula,
Horse Plains and the Blackfoot has been
considered as phenomenal by Eastern
people. In more thar one competition
the farmers of this belt have carried
away the palm and the figure that they
have set has been a high one, but not
only is the total crop this year i'm excess
Of the yield of previous years, but the
production per acre will establish a new
mark. Such heavy grain has never been
seen in these parts before.
While the farmer is making hay and
hustling to get il done, there is an un-
uSudl nuulDeI OF people luulub rest dllu
pleasure and health in the sunshine and
pleasant places of Western Montana.
Butte and Anaconda and other Montana
cities are just finding out that there is
nothing but truth in what has been said
and written about the beauties Of the
Bitter Root and Missoula valleys. The
pleasant hostelry at Hamilton-the Ha
valli-and the other comfortable resting
places along the valley are this summer
N aqf "a fpHnur MANY grttAGFE from tho
towns in higher attitudes. and there is
no n who comes to the valley for the
first time who is not pleased with il.
The new train service brings these towns
conveniently near to the green fields
and clear streams of the western val
leys, and the people are taking advan-
tage of il. One Of these visitors said to
a Standard man to-day: Il have been
reading and hearing of the Bitter Root
for a long time, but l had always
thought the statements exaggerated. |
went up there this week and | have dis
covered that the stories ave all been
short Of the reality"
And the tsG tiat are beng caught in
the streams his year are i'm line with
the crops. They are great in size and
large in numbers. wen the novices
from Butte, who are not accustomed To
fishing, are successful over here. If the
Missoula fish stories are big. the Ham
yarns are bigger. Up there the
people-men and women-spend
the evenings ~recounting their triumphs
with rod n line and the children are
becoming proficient both in the catch
ing of fish and the spinning Of yarns.
one Of these pastimes is certainly health
giving and the other surely prevents
mental torpitude. As to the moral con-
dition OF these sojourners-morals must
be good where body and mind are
healthy and strong. There will be a de-
cided Improvement i'm the condition of
affairs at Butte and Anaconda when all