The Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1918-1919, 1919-04-17
Spring MESSAGE
TO THE RANGERS
FROM ST0CKMAN
Editor of Sioux City Daily
Livestock Record Ex-
presses Opinions
HOGS AND ROOT
CROPS ADAPTED
Changes and Growth of In
dustry During the Fast
Seven Years

Among the,Sod fellows who are in
town, on the annual rounds of the
stock growers conventions, is Pull
man car full of live wires from the
Sioux City, Ia, live stock market.
With the crowd is Y. A. Hartman,
editor of the Daily Live Stock Record,
published at the Sioux City market.
During a visit to this office Mr.. Hart
man took occasion to go over some
of his observations on these trips and
to refer to the growth of the Sioux
City market ''It is seven years ago
this month that l made my first
round of the annual April gatherings
Of stock growers in the northwest
ern range countries. Within the
space of these few years there have
--heen some marked changes in the
range country; also in Sioux City as
a marketing center. Only seven years
ago the rangemen as a whole were
skeptical-they were disposed to
doubt the adaptability of the range
country for any other purpose than
the grazing of cattle and sheep. l
call to mind a conversation with a
gentleman from western South Da-
kota. / asked him whether any hogs
were being raised in his section. Nine
out of every ten men in the north
western range country would recog-
nj Of n
be mentioned herewith. When the
question was put up to this man he
gave out plying look and replied
You can't raise hogs in this country
Three years later, in the lobby of the
hotel at Rapid City, this same man
was talking of conditions in his sec
tion of the country. 1t had been
hard winter on cattle, but l have
three carloads of hogs that are about
ready for market-have sold two
loads during the winter, so I guess I
will get through said this man. This
range country may never become
part and parcel of the corn belt, but
many of the range sections have been
\ Ling out that they can raise al
-ffssdfa, barley, oats, root crops and oc-
c;asionally little corn. and wherever
leguminous grasses, small grains and
root crops will grow and flourish
there, also, will the hog thrive and
wax fat for the. pork barrel-and
pig, farrowed today will grow to ma
turity and bring home the coin before
the calf dropped on the same day is
ready to wean and start on his job of
turning range grasses into money.
This is one phase of the change noted
in the range country during these
fellows they are, too-who do not
take kindly to the evolution that has
brought about this change-but it is
the inevitable, and we doubt not is
destined to bring surer revenue to
greater number of residents on the
lands of this western country than
the old time range methods were
capable of producing.
The Sioux City delegation which
is on the rounds of these stock grow
ers' meetings in western South Da-
kota, Wyoming and Montana, have
with them a message of growth to
meet increasing needs of stock yards
market and packing capacity. In the
midst of the stress of the war period,
when the energy Of every home in the
country was turned to the task of
stopping the Hun and driving him
back from invaded and devastated
territory-at a time when the wisest
heads of all Christendom said it
would take five years to whip the
Prussian and drive him to cover-at
such time as this the Midland Pack
ing company announced its intention
Qf erecting a packing plant at the
SIOUX City stock yards market. Ad-
eqdate grounds was purchased, exca-
vation begun, a favorable winter was
used to advantage and today sees
some four hundred laborers busily