Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-16
The Big Horn Basin Country.
Editors Democrat:

han any similar area in the west.
People who have never seen it seem
to think it narrow valley or small
basin hidden away in an almost in
accessible mountain district, where
the principle industries are tout.
lawry" sheep and cattle.
Very few people realize what an
immense country the Big Horn
Basin is. know that l did not un-
till l stood on the platform of the
train as we entered the Basin and
looked across the level plains to that
mighty procession of giant peaks en-
circling it on all sides.
/ took my pencil and did a little
figuring. | found that, lying with
in the circle of this grand parade Of
mountains, was a territory larger
than the states of Massachusetts and
Rhode Island.
AS our train sped across the
plains toward Cody, l pictured in
my mind what a transformation
would take place when this bare
plain should come in touch with the
irrigation ditch, and the change is
coming sooner than / expected.
There was time when stock rails
ing was about the only industry Of
the country, and it is still the lead
ing industry. This is always the
pioneer industry in all semi-arid
sections where the short, nutricious,
native grasses are the only pro-
duction of the soil.
Such countries look barren, desc
late, and worthless, to an eastern
man unacquainted with the nature Of
these soils, and their wonderful pro-
ductiveness under irrigation. All
over the west can be found rich,
prosperous farming and fruit grow
ing communitieswhere land is worth
from seventy-live to five hundred
dollars per acre, which before being
put under water was part of some
big ranch, and worth from Fifty cents
to one dollar per acre. The result
of irrigation in semi arid sections is
to cut up the big ranches into small
er and more profitable farms.
Horses, cattle and sheep have al
ways been proftablein the Big Horn
Basin and though the days Of the
large ''outfits" are rapidly passing
away, stock raising has not de
clined and is far more profitable
now than ever before.
h Under existing conditions, the
ranchmen keep just the number Of
animals that can we'll be cared for
in the winter time, making it uni
j; versal rule to provide sufficient hay
to carry them through in good con
dition. A constant evolution from
the large to the small ranch is in
progress, and in the near future all
the large holdings will doubtless be
divided into small, well equipped
farms and ranches.
Improved railroad facilities and IT.
igation are the new conditions re.
sponsible for this change. Land
owners are rapidly learning that it
is more profitable to bring their
lands under cultivation than to hold
them solely for range purposes.
| IL has become known in recent
lyears that The Basin" is adapted to a
wider. .rsnge Of crops than anyone
/, dreamed of ten years ago.
4 Though irrigation bring large
portion Of the basin under cultiva-
ton, the foothills willalways furnish
y pasturage for large heards Of cattle
and Aocks Of sheep. And stock
sraising. darying, sheep raising and
mixed farming will all be followed
when the country is fully developed
Big Horn county contains
J, 100000 acres ofland 100000 acres
Of this has been set aside under thu
Cary Arid Land Act, for irrigation
The six canals now being built will
put nearly all of the farming Lane
under ditch. spent several day.
witha Norman family who had |
farm on the Sidon canal, and thougl
a little early in the season to tel
II much about the crops from persona
D observation, information CLEANED
from Mr.. james, who was deput.
sheriff of the county for seven years
t and number Of other old settlers
= proved that the following State Re
port Of Wyoming, is correct.
"Oats yielded from forty to eight,
$ bushels per acre; wheat, thirty i
sixty; rye twenty-five to fifty five
g barley, forty to sixty; alfalfa, tire
0 to seven tons, other grasses two t,
= four tons per acre.
All the roots, such as potatoes
carrots, rutabagas and beets Of al
: kinds, thrive excelIently well up t
8 $500 feet. 1t is not uncommon 10
!. beets and rutabagas, where wei
!. cultivated, to attain weights of TEL
: to fifteen pounds and be solid to til
:. core. OF melons, the cantaloup
natures of excellent quality; so doe
n the watermelon, though to less ex
2 tent. The. potato is large yieldel
. and of quality unsurpassed any
n where"
can testify to the quality Of tn
o potato for | never ate potatoes G
: finer quality.
8 At present nearly all Of the irr
n gated lands in the basin" lie ava
It front herailroad, and for that reason
S | found prices comparatively low a
g compared with many irrigated sec
! tons in other parts Of the Unite
8 States which have visited. If on
e buys soon, and is careful to selee
good land, and good location, l be
e lieve that the homeseeker who loca,
II es in the Big Horn Basin this season
i will make good Investment.