Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-07-29
JUDITH BASIN FARMERS BIG
GATHERING At EXPERIMENT
STATION ENJOYABLE.
FINE ADDRESS BY GOV. STEWAP
interesting Talks by Other Speakers.
Very creditabIe Display Of Aaricul-
tura' Products-Sport Program ls a
Pleasing Feature.

With Governor s. V. Stewart and
other prominent citizens of the state
In attendance, the seventh annual
farmers picnic at the experimen. sta
tion, near Moccasin Friday, proved
to be notable event.
The attendance was not up to that
of last year. when the high mark was
reached, but over 5000 people from
all over the county, and many from
distant points in Montana were pres
ent. to listen to the inspiring speeches
and to enjoy the stirring program Of
sports carried out.
Day 10 Perfect.
1t was perfect day for the big
event 1t was clear, wind still and
warm. but not too warm.
The large crowd was comfortably
handled and the program was carried
out without hitch.
Crops Are Great.
The experiment station crops looked
better than ever. In fact it was a
grand sight, and the crops throughout
the Judith basin showed up to splen.
did advantage.
The display of farm products was
a very creditable one. and awards
were made for the best products on
display.
Ayers Presides.
Judge Roy Ayers acquitted himself
with credit as chairman for the occa-
sion. He refrained from any extended
speech himself, but his remarks and
coment were very apropos, and he said
some good things.
Governor Stewards Address.
The feature Of the afternoon was, Of
course, the address by Governor Stew
art, which dealt largely with agricul-
tural conditions in Montana He was
frequently interrupted by applause,
aand he was at his best. He said in
part:
standing even in the midst of this
great inland empire. where miles upon
miles of golden waving grain may be
seen in every direction, l hesitate to
tax your credulity by venturing to
make an estimate of this years un-
paralleled yield or to predict the rank
which Montana will hold among the
wheat producing states of the union
when the crop of 1915 will have been
harvested. / content myself with the
statement that the bureau of crop esti-
mates of the United States department
of agriculture announced, upon the
first of this month, that Montana's S
1915 crop would be in excess of 30,-
100000 bushels, an increased of al
most so per cent over the best pre-
vious crop in the history of the state.
,'It is the habit of the uninformed
to assume that the growth Of farming
in Montana has been made at the ex-
pense of oths industries Which thrived
here before he farmer came Nothing
could be flrther from the truth, for
while the iIontana farmer has been
prospering and has been subduing that
great portion of the state which is so
admirably fitted for agricultural de-
velopment, the Montana stockman and
the Montana miner have continued to
reap the rich rewards in their own
lines of industry.
Mining Is Thriving.
Farming came, not to supplant min
ing in Montana, but to march side by
side with it in the development of the
unparalleled resources of the great
commonwealth. Because of late we
have had occasion to marvel at the
unprecedented growth Of agriculture
in Montana, it has been common er-
ror to assume that the great mining
industry of this state has lapsed into
decay. Opposed to his stands the illum-
mating fact that Montana leads all the
states in the union in the value of
the precious and semi precious metals
which it produces, and that the COM
bined value Of the gold, silver, copper,
lead and zinc of this state for 1913 was
over $6O,0O0,000. Against the assum'
ed decay of the mining industry of
this state stands the incontrovertible