Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-09-18
TREASURE STATE
ss-.a.@-ss.ass.ss~ss
FARM SUCCESS

Big business Is often started wIkh
little capital and while II is always beae
for the farmer to have something 70
start with. there SIRE men -who have
started farming IN Montana with nokhs
Ing and have achieved great success
Here ta man who started IS years age
with $100 less than nothing and IA now
worth more than $4,000.
When be was IS years old. F. > Rss.
sonet OF Ontario. Canada. came -
Jens, to make start for himself. He
had no money Of his own. but had her
rowed 500 TO make the trip.
That 500 seemed big loan to him
and paying II hack gave him 3 thrill.
but It was nothing TO the thrfll be
got about 80 years later when he was
handel a check for more than $80o00
for herd OF cattle. AFR. Bissonet told
a writer for the Northern Pacific raal-
way.
Il was the sixth Of October. 1885.
when he arrived In Montana. the place |
TO make his home and fortune. Oeto-
Der s he had a sob and started work On
a ranch at $40 per moath. He worried 1
on ranches and N mines for ahout two
years and then decided 20 begin busz-
ness for himself.
He did not have money to buy =
ranch, but he rented 400 acres near
Gold Greek. That falI he thresAed
5000 bushels OF grain and baled 200
tons OF hay.
The next year he rented 4s0-acre
ranch with 200 head Of cows He was
getting ahead and continued here for
three years. receiving share Of the
cattle. So well pleased was the owner
OF the ranch with the returns he re-
celved that he tried hard to persuade
the enterprising young renter to stay
with him, but Bissonet had other plans
He wanted to own a place himself and
q nearby quarter section was being OF
fered for sale at $500.
He only had $500 in cash. hut he had
4 good herd OF young cattle. received
rs his share from the rented ranch.
Paying down $500 on the land, he gave
4 mortgage for the balance Of 5000.
In two years and nine months he had
paid the mortgages and besides had In
rested considerable money in machln-
Try and improvements on the place. IN
200 he bought another quarter section.
10 do this, ne said. required lot OF
lard work and close watching for any
'ossible way to make dollar Rege-
ables and produce were sold Ia nearby
'illages. hut the bulk Of his income
anne from cattle and grain.
Mr.. Bisaonet now has ranch con
listing OF 200 acres OF agricultural land
nd 1850 acres OF grazing land. He
IA sc head OF Herefords and during
he last 10 years has never had any
ut purebred bulls
He II now getting started with sheep
nd has $50 RamboUdllefs which last
ear yielded an average wool clip Of
~ pounds per head, yearlinEs and
H. Some Of the sheep clipped as high
rs and IS pounds The wool brought
price ranging from 20 TO 20 cents
er pound, over $sN0. HIs Wefber
mbs averaged 81 pounds apiece last
III and sold for 10 cents q pound.
Besides hay last year he raised 10
res OF Early Bart spring wheat on
y land which yielded - bnshels per
re.
One OF the happIeaf days Mr. Bis
net ever spent was when he received
check for more than $4,000 when
, sold herd OF cnttle IN Chicago in
e fall Of 1918. At tbat time he had
0 head OF cattle and he sold all but ~
yearling heifers.
To the amount be. received from the
lie Of his cattle he was able TO add
other considerable Income the same
n Having disposed Of his cattle. he
d hay to sell and be got $35 a ton
+ IT..
I'VE never bought any food we could
Ise on the ranrh. said Mr. Blssonef.
ven before was married, running 90,
; rented ranch and cooking for my h,,,
{, ! MIXED cows and had my own no,
TX and butter.
We always have hogs for butcher ..
!. and we have white LeghOrn and n
ode Island Red chickens for table sta
} and for eggs" 8
sood buildings. including a fine mod he
home. buIlt at cosf OF 5000. lot
re gradually been erected BY Bfr. wri
sonef.
here are six children Ia the family \
all are reeeiFsRg high school and Tim
her educational trimming r.,
! have surely done well a. Montana soc
expect 70 10 sffII beffeg. Mr. Bis =
ga says. Il DO mt see that could
e done better anywhere slse" .