Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-10-08


harvested 60 IL bushels to the acre.
An Old'timer.
"Twenty-nine years ago." said s.
s. HobsOn, 'when l first came into
this country there was not a fence
within 200 miles, the nearest postotfice
was at Fort Benton and the Northern
Pacific railroad terminated at Bis
marck. There was no farming at all
in the country in those days. plant
ed the first alfalfa crop in the country
% years ago; two crops have been
cut yearly and the ground has never
been reseeded. The annual crop has
averaged two and one-half to three
tons per acre."
In Ohio and other eastern states,
where improved land sells for 5000 an
acre, the average wheat yield is 13
bushels. In Judith basin improved
farm land sells for from $25 to $40 an
acre and the average wheat yield
from such grounds is between IS and
40 bushels of wheat. Farmers who
have lived all their lives in the middle
West, where the land values are high
and the crop yield comparatively
small, cannot at first believe the
apparently impossible tales of enor-
nous crop yields. But once they are
in the country and see for themselves
they do not hesitate to buy.
Mr.. Chilcott, head of the grain di-
vision of the United States agricul-
tural department, who was in the
basin this summer, said after viewing
the fields that they had the best I'M
irrigated grain crops Of any state in
the Union. He made remarks to the
same effect two years ago.
Practically all the farming III Jud-
it'll basin is done on unirrigated lands,
which makes more remarkable than
ever the fact that Judith basin has
never known a crop failure. OF
course, every year does not produce
bumper crop. and some Indifferent
farmers who till the ground in all in
different manner have poor crops.
The country has never experienced a
tornado or cyclone.
This years Oat and wheat crops
will be the largest in the history of
the basin and will total 5000, 600
bushels. To handle this crop be-
tween Lewistown and Judith Gap
will necessitate 1900 cars ON the Chi
cago, Milwaukee Il Puget Sound and
like number between Geyser and
Judith Gap on the Great Northern.
These 5000 cars in. one train would
be 10 miles in length.
The average homestead in the coun-
try consists of 100 acres, but some of
the ranches are exceptionally large.
The Thomas Cruise ranch comprises
10000 acres and controls 1S miles of
Flat Willow creek. Frank Stephens
has one almost as large. John u.
Wait has an 18,OOO-acre ranch, the
largest in the basin.
This is the first year for the Holt
combined steam harvester and
thresher. There are three in the
basin, and according to reports are
doing excellent work. One machine,
attended by six men, will cut thresh
and sack so acres day. The results
are remarkable and the improvement
over the old way is such that it's con-
tinued use is assured.
Sixteen hundred hOmesteaders took
up land in Lewistown during the past
IL months, according to figures fur
nished by the Lewistown land office.
Nine-tenths of the ground can be
bought from the government for rs
ar acre, while the other tenth costs
the homesteader $3.50. In the year
just passed the receipts from this Of
from the farmers, totaled almost
100000.
Want More Settlers.
Montana is extending both her
hands to the crowded sections of the
middle West, the East and South.
She wants their sons and daughters
| w COulC " VIC W GU dllNl
wrest from nature the livelihood she
gives to all who have necessary grit
and ambition. The indOlent, the i'm
provident and the weakling are not
wanted: they would retard rather
than aid in the development. The
man with a family who has means
and the young and unencumbered
man can find unlimited opportunities
in this state, and to such a cordial
invitation is always extended.
The farmer of today has become
envied and respected by the poorly
paid clerks and improvident mechanics
of crowded cities. While in purely
financial way he may not have the
-