The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-05-28
BRIGHT IDEAS OF
MONTANA EDITORS
Live Stock Conditions.

Live Stock Conditions.
The conditions for live stock are in
some respects very flattering. while in
others they are not so promising. In
the lower Yellowstone region and it's
tributaries reaching out towards the
south the spring has been unusually dry.
The Big Horn. Rosebud. Tongue RivaY
and Powder River districts. as we'll as
the Yellowstone east of Billings. are un-
usually dry and the grass Is short and
the people are feeling quite anxious.
These regions, it will be remembered.
embrace country several hundred miles
in extent and include the principal ex-
elusive range regions of eastern and
southern Montana. In eastern and moth
ern Montana the region north of the Mis-
| souri, and embracing Milk river for sew
| eral hundred miles, Is in much better
shape since it had some spring rains
and the grass his started nicely. In the
mountain districts things up to this writ
| ing are quite cheerful. The lamb, colt
| and calf crop promises to be very good
| indeed and grass Is above the average.
F for this time of year at least. Meadows
| also, for these mountain valleys, all de-
| pend solely in these latter days on put
ting up hay for winter. are looking fine
/ being plenty of water for that purpose
| at this writing. so that we can count on a
! fair crop of hay in any event. 1t is sell
dom that the mountain valleys are in
better shape than now and there is no
| reason for any distrust for the future,
| and yet nearly all Of our readers are
! skeptical as to the outcome of June. But
| even though it should prove dry fully
4 one-half of the state will have an aver
| age grass and hay crop, which will in
sure the prosperity of the entire state.
| No serious disaster can come to the
| stock interests Of our inter- mountain
regions for the reason that our people
are prepared for almost any emergency.
that may arise, and this being true,
and the market promises for fat stock
being tip top, there is good reason for
the majority of our people feeling very
good indeed, in fact, such is the state
of the public pulse at this writing
Rocky Mountain Husbandman.
Montana Farm Lands.
Many people who come here from the
Mississippi valley, where land is selling
at prices ranging from forty to seventy
five dollars an acre. express surprise that
Flathead lands are held so high, and
are astonished when they are asked $50
or more an acre for good farms. The
value of lands for farming purposes lies
entirely in the returns that can be real
lied from it. and on that basis the lands
here are much cheaper than in the Mis-
sissippi valley states. The people there
base their values of farm lands to some
extent on the distance they are from
Chicago or other Target markets, and
imagine because the Flathead is two
| n nnphf
to be had for a few dollars an acre.
Acre for acre the return from the land
in ordinary farming operations here is
as great, or even greater than in the
more eastern states. The yield of wheat
oats and hay, the principal crop Is great
err, and the prices realized are almost
invariably higher. These things much
more than make up for the slightly high.
err cost of living. and the farmer has
more to show for his work at the end
of the year. That is the real test OF
the value of the land. and the only one
that is useful In making comparison
of values. If a quarter section in the
Flathead will give larger return
than one in Iowa. and 1t usually will
instead of being worth third or hal
as much as the Iowa land, it Is actual
NY worth more. The man who expects
Flathead farms to be cheaper will b.
disappointed. The prices will go up, no
down-Kalispel Inter Lake.
Basin Is All Right.
Basin is still all right. It not only at
fords that abundance of pure mountain
air and sparkling mountain water tina
makes the cheeks of its residents radiat
with health and vigor of life, the will
flowers, the shady moss covered rock
where the sun beams play hide and seel
in delight at their own beauty, the eve
beaming myriads of dazzling diamond
that sparkle from the submits amoni
the perpetual snow of its lofty peaks
the mighty Boulder that abounds in tn
most beautiful fish that nature ever pro
duced and that weird fascination a
j we'll as forever the abundance of pala
table and most delicate good known t
the inhabitants of the this western
country where the milk and honey is tn
richest in the world and is never skim
med, the home of the hunter who beard
the lion in his liar and the grizzly bea
in his den. the ideal summer resort an
the finest picnic grounds in the north
west. the delightful winter resort of tn
hardy prospector and miner who gather
his early goods from the product of tn
gravel bars and Is dependent upon moth
ing but that which God has given him
the headquarters Of the cracker:ack 10
cal FIRE department Of the whole country
the celebrated Ancient Order Of Buffa
loes and last. but not least, some Of tn
citizens of the burg are talkingf-- put