Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1905-04-04
Excellent Ranches Which are Well
Wdtered and Cultivated---BiQ
Stock Interests.
the LOWER JUDITH COUNTRY
Extremely Rich Section of the Conn
ty in the Vicinity of the Jud-
ith---Warm Spring Greek.

In the center Of a stock raising dis
trict embracing Wolf and Willow
creeks and many other streams is sit
uated the town Of Stanford. Not SO
many years ago the ehtire section
was owned by small ranchers and
stockmen who ran their herds on the
free range which was then plentiful
in that vicinity. OF late years how
ever the larger outfits have bought up
the smaller independent ranchers
who on the fencing of the range found
that he did not have land enough to
run his stock. While there is large
era Of open range in this section, yet
the water is fenced in almost every
instance.
This section Of the county consists
OF some of the best grazing land in
the state and the creek bottoms and
the lower benchlands are extremely
fertile. The main industry is the
raising of sheep and the growing of
wool, 100000 pounds of which is
shipped from this locality. Horses
and cattle are raised yet by a number
OF ranchers adjacent to the foothills
while there are some outfits on Wolfe
creek successfully engaged in cattle
raising. Bower Bros. Sheep Co., con-
troll 100000 acres of land adjoining
Stanford and reaching to the Surprise
creek district: considerable amount
of this is leased from the government
In the neighborhood of 10000 head of
sheep are wintered by this outfit who
ship an enormous quantity of wool.
Frank Mitchell owns $500 acres of
splendid grazing and agricultural land
in the vicinity of Stanford of which
100 acres are farmed to advantage,
growing good crops each year. Alfal-
ia and timothy are an extremely
heavy crop in this locality, while oats
will run from 35 to 40 bushels to the
acre. The growing of winter wheat
is being made the subject of extensive
experiments and from past expert
ence it is thought that the crop will
be success. The advent of the farm
er and the overcrowded agricultural
districts of the east would be well
coined and settlers coming west with
the intention of securing farming
lands could secure location in this
neighborhood at very reasonable fig
ure and obtain the hearey co-opera-
tion of the ranchers of the district.
Considerable interest is being
eyinced in the raising of thorough
bred stock throughout this district
and marked improvement has oc-
cured in the herds during the past
ten years. Instead Of the half breed
cattle of former years the stock has
improved until the best breeds pre-
dominate. E. w. Stack on Upper
Willow creek has an especially fine
bunch of white face cattle that has
been fed through the winter and are
in magnificent shape at the present
time. Mr.. Stack has flowing well
on his ranch as the result of sinking
three hundred feet.
Henry keeton, of Wolf creek, has
fine bunch of cattle and is located on
a particularly fertile ranch in that
district. Perry Westfall, Alec Tuttle.
Lee Balm, John Ross and others also
have first class ranching property in
this locality which is particularly
adapated for stock raising of all kinds.
The late storm has started the grass
in COOP shape and the ranges are be-
ginning to present verdant luXuri-
ant appearance. Water is found at a
depth of from forty to one hundred
feet While in several instances flowing
wells have been secured. At the
home ranch of the Sage Creek Sheep
Co., an artesian well is running many
gallons of water per hour.
The scope OF country from Stanford
to the mouth of Coyote creek is as
yet principally open range, though
knerr Bros, have secured magnti-
cent area of range and agricultural
land in that locality. The country
from thence to the mouth of the Jud-
18th is being fenced up gradually as
the larger stockmen realize the i'm
portance of securing grazing land ere
the range is all taken up. The range !