Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-12-21

ach of wheat shipped from Moore
nd Straw This fall

each of wheat shipped from Moore
and Straw this fall.
The price paid for wheat this year
in this county has been an average Of
Sl.35 a hundred and the price Is still
rising, Oats are raised extensively
and could be raised 10 good advantage
for the market They run on an ay.
erage of 30 bushels TO the acre and
weigh from ~ TO 81 pounds To the
measured bushel. The average price
paid for this product this year has
been $l,00 a hundred. Montana bar.
ley is known throughout the world
as the finest mailing barley that is
produced. Barley from the Gallatin
valley is shipped to Russia and Ger.
many for this purpose every year.
Competent judges have said that the
lands OF the Judith basin are as good
If not better than those of the Gala
TIN for barley raising. and this has
been shown 10 be true by the tests
that have been made. As TO rye the
finest grain that can be seen in any
locality has been raised right here
within a short distance of Lewistown
Montana has The climate and the
natural conditions which make a great
grain country, and the Judith basin
is the garden spot of the state. We
have no cyclones or hurricanes to
spoil the stand OF grain and The loss
by hail is almost nothing. being only
about one-quarter of one per cent
The loss in Germany from this cause
alone is twenty-five or thirty per
cent. The future OF Fergus county in
an agricultural way lies in its grain
and the sooner the ranchers OF the
county make a study of this matter
and go about the raising Of wheat
and other grains In systematic way
the more quickly will continued pros
perity settle upon them.
In the cattle and sheep business
Fergus county has kept up 10 its form
er record and has shipped to the east
large numbers Of stock of all kinds.
The Montana railroad figured for the
first time this year in stock shipments
from Fergus county and so well did II
handle what was intrusted TO its care
that II Is estimated that the business
done by the company next year along
this line will be far ahead of this
year. The heavy traffic has been
handled in an excellent manner by
the company and The stockmen are
pleased with the treatment they re-
ceived.
The Argus is in receipt of letter
from President Richard A. Harlow Civ.
ing an account of the stock shipments
by the railroad this year:
The figures are as follows: From
Lewistown-Sheep. 10 cars; cattle, q
cars, horses, 8 cars. From Moore
Sheep, 36 cars: cattle. 65 cars. From
Straw-Sheep. 26 cars; cattle, "a cars;
horses. cars. From Ubet-Sheep,
cars: cattle, 90 cars. This makes
a total of 225 carloads Of stock taken
out of Fergus county over the Montana
railroad this fall.
This does not begin to tell the
story of stock shipments. however.
Tor the majority of the stockmen
drove their stock TO Junction. Custer.
Billings. Big Sandy or some Of the
other railroad points. as they have
been accustomed to do. IL Is estimat-
ed by a prominent stock raiser that
there were close To 5000 head Of cat
tie shipped to the eastern market be-
sides those shipped over the Montana
railroad Taking s32 a head as Il
fair average for cattle this year II can
readily be seen that the ranchers OF
the county have done well in the cat
tie BUSINESS. The same stockman fig
uTes that some 100000 sheep have
been shipped by other means than
the Montana railroad and with an av-
erage price for sheep. including lambs
and sheep both, Of 81 head net. shows
good return TO the sheep growers
OF the county.
Last spring the Judith basin was
brought into prominence in the agri-
cultural world by the superiority Of
its potato crop. The large stores here
were deluged with orders from all
over the United States for big ship
ments OF the Irish staff OF life
There were close TO 1.00O,000 pounds
of potatoes shipped to eastern points
from the basin and the average price
received by the ranchers OF the couii.
~ for their produce was from 7oc TO
Sc hundred pounds The soil In
the basin is admirably adapted to the
raising Of potatoes ana The quality
produced cannot be eAcelled In any
locality.
Nothing has been said here of the
gold producing ability OF this county
for IL has been the object of this arti.
Gle to treat particularly OF the stock
and agricultural features. However,
Fergus county has upheld her reputa-
tion in the last year as the banner
gold county OF the state and with the
large Improvements being made in
the mines and the many new proper
ties now being opened up the pros
poets for next year are OF the bright
est. Not alone in gold Is the county
rich in a mineral way, but the sap
phires produced here cannot be ex-
celled any place in the world. The
coal industry Of the Judith basin is
"A new one, but already all OF the coal
used here is Of home production and
IS of the very best quality
Taken as whole Fergus county
Is destined 10 be one Of the greatest
stock, agricultural and mining coun-
ties in the world. II is new country
and one which is far from fully de-
yeloped but IL Is making rapid strides
and has the brightest prospects for
the future.
THERE is MONEY IN 1T.