The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-09-05

An extended trip over eastern
central and portions of western
Montana has convinced the writ
er that the states agriculture
production for 1913 will far sur
pass all former yields. In some
localities the crop is short, bu
as a whole the yield of all classes
of agricultural products is be-
yond the conception of the ole
time Montana residents.
In years gone by, it was the
belief of the then residents OF
Montana that only the lands lying
along the creek bottoms were
capable of producing crops. and
then only by irrigation. This
belief has been knocked all te
pieces in late years and the sea-
son OF 1913 has proven beyond q
doubt that dry farming has, is,
and will be successful.
Crop conditions all over the
state are about the same
large acreage and a heavy yield.
In the Flathead valley tributary
to Kalispell the grain crop is a
heavy one, probably much above
the average in that favored val
ley. Going east from there the
main range of the Rocky noun
tains is crossed and the traveller
soon finds himself lost in the
mighty prairies of the eastern
slope. From Cut Bank, at the
foot of the mountains on the
eastern side, to Havre, a dis
tance Of more than one hundred
miles, lies one immense level
prairie, all claimed by the thous-
ands of homesteaders who have
come into that country within
the past two or three years. This
particular section will doubtless
yield less grain to the acre than
any other portion of Montana
this year, owing to a serious
drouth during the growing sea-
son. But at that, the crop is not
a failure and the hardy settlers
have great faith in the future.
East Of Havre as far east as the
state line, the crop is a splendid
one and prosperity is evident on
every hand. Hundreds of new
towns are springing up on the
broad prairies and the buildings
being erected both in towns and
on the farms are of a permanent
character and stand as evidence
of the strong faith the people
have in the stability and per-
manence of that country. Shocks
of golden grain greet the eye
from Havre to the Dakota line
and from the Canadian line on
the north to the Wyoming line
on the south, a revelation in
truth to the man who travelled
over that same territory twenty
two years ago when cattle,
horses and sheep roamed the
prairies at will and a bundle of
grain was a curiosity, and with
houses twenty or more miles
apart.
That part of the state known
as Judith Basin shows beyond a
doubt the greatest development
in all lines. Practically every
foot Of government land has been
occupied by homesteaders and
more than fifty per cent of it is
in a high state of cultivation.
Railroads have been constructed
and more are under course of
construction; commodious farm
houses and barns are to be seen
On every hand, surrounded by
fields of grain that are this year
from 30 to 40 bushels of
wheat to the acre and as high as
Is bushels of oats. Neat, pros
porous looking towns are to be
seen every few miles and taken
Is a whole, it has the appearance
If being Montana's most pros
oerous section from an agricul-
;ural standpoint. Lewistown,
he capitol city of this empire,
has grown from a small hamlet
o a city Of several thousand peo-
DE, and the live people of that
.ity claim that it is now only in
n its first stages of advance