The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-31
IN BOHEMIAN.
Raising Of the Famous German Saals
Barley In America.

Raising of the Famous German Saals
Barley In America.
Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Bohemian. May 2s.-Mr. Henry Alien
brand. president of the Manhattan
Mailing company. and the protector of
the West Gallatin anal company's
works and improvements in the Gala
tin valley. arrived a few days ago from
New York to look after his extensive
interests i'm this county. both at Man
haitian and elsewhere. During an in
terview with reference to the raising of
the famous German saale barley in
America. nov extensively raised in the
valley. he said:
Barley is one OF Americas standard
crops. has long been raised. with vary-
ing success in many of the Western
states. Previous to the year 1889 a
very large portion of the barley used
In the manufacture OF malt in the Unit
ed States was imported from Canada;
there being 10 cents duty on barley. and
the Canadian climate being better
adapted to barley raising than that OF
most barley raising states. the farmers
In the United States were gradually
supplanting this crop by other cereals
In that year Mr.. Henry Altenbrand.
president of the New York and Brook
Ign Mailing company. and for over %
years connected with the mailing busi-
ness. was largely instrumental In hav-
ing an import duty of 30 cents per bush
ell placed on all barley imported into the
United States. At o that time Mr..
Altenbrand imported from Germany
some 1000 bushel of the German Saale
barley, having a wide reputation as be-
ing the finest barley i'm the world. This
seed was introduced into the states OF
Minnesota, Iowa. Wisconsin. Illinois.
New York and Montana, where the seed
was distributed in the Gallatin valley.
to be cultivated by irrigation. The pur-
pose OF distributing the seed In the va
rious states was to determine whether
the climates OF these states were adapt
ed to the raising OF this barley. Samples
were taken the first year from crops
grown In each OF these states, and with
the exception of the crop grown in the
Gallatin valley, where Il was raised by
Irrigation, showed that in each instance
the barley degenerated. both i'm quality
and appearance, as compared with the
mother" seed. The crop grown by ir-
rigation in the Gsllatin valley showed a
wonderful improvement on the original
seed. 1t was fuller. heavier in weight,
brighter in color. The impetus thus
given to the raising of barley by irri-
cation in the Gallatin valley has been
continued with increasing success year
after year. until to-day the Gallatin
ilt III = ny Wv W. W
over as a great barley producing sec
ton. The original seed has improved
year by year, and the Gallatin valley
barley is pre-eminently the finest malt
ing barley in the world. The reasons
for this. briefly stated, said MIR. Alien
brand, are the natural good soil. to-
gether with irrigation. giving moisture
to the ground at the proper time, there
by increasing the p%lumpness of the ber-
ry, and the most important of all, the
absense of any rainfall during the har-
vest, which insures the bright color so
much desired. The Gallatin valley
proper contains about 300 square miles.
surrounded on all sides by bench lands.
or foot hills. running back to the noun
tains. and occupying. perhaps. 200 miles
in extent. Biologists teach that ii was
originally a vast lake. receiving the
streams which now form the head
waters OF the mighty Missouri. whose
tributaries extending back into the heart
Of the Rockies for more than 1000 miles
have covered the lake bed with an al
luvial soil Incompatible for fertility.
which. coupled with the matchless love
illness of the landscape. justify the dual
appellation of THE Egypt and the
Switzerland of America.
This valley constitutes at this time
the largest agricultural area under
cultivation in Montana. A stranger
traversine il in either direction might
easily imagine himsil II in the most ia
vored parts of Illinois or Iowa. so lev
Ell are the highways, so neat and tidy
the well kept fields, so comfortable n
substantial the farm buildings. The illu-
sion would speedily be dispelled as the
eye turned from the immediate FORE
ground to the snowclad peaks of the
majestic mountains. towering thous-
ands of feet above the sea level. I'm
- "a
valley. the Gallatin farmer sows his
crops with the confidence and sssur-
ance of reaping a rich reward Of his
labor, based on the unbroken record OF
no crop failure in the history of the
country. This immunity from crop
failure rests upon the bounteous sup
ply of water for irrigation from nu-
merous mountain streams. flowing
from perpetual snow drifts, which.
sun, afford grateful moisture to the
parched fields in the time of their
greatest need. The valley, although
apparently level. has q fall to the
! north of about so feet to the mile. and
water In the hands of a skilled irriga-
tor finds its way quickly over the
broad acres. thus doubling the value
TO the farmer. Again the canyons and
ravines in which man of the streams
arise. hav a northern exposure. which
retards the melting OF the snow until
midsummer, the period when grain is
filling and most needing moisture.
Montana's annual rainfall Is about Is
inches. occurring during the winter.
spring and fall months. arording am
pie moisture for the termination OF the
seed and growth Of crops in their ear
ly stages. the happy combination OF
the heat of the perfect summer days
and artificial moisture by irrigation
gives a n growth and development 10
crops nknow to any region save
that of the mountain states. Irriga-
ton in Montana In both meat and
drink To the soil. The water finding
its way from the mountains. through
timber girt ravines and coulees. bears
I'm solution vast amounts Of detritus
rich in organic matter: this applied to
lands already doubly rich in potash,
phosphoric acid and nitrogen. gives