The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-02-08
PRESIDENT BUDD
WRITES OF STATE
HEAD OF GREAT NORTHERN
IN MAGAZINE STORY,
BOOSTS MONTANA
Exploits Farms, Mines and Other
Lines of Industry; Says State LIS
Certain to Become Great Corn
Growing Country.

Ralph Budd, president of the
Great Northern railway, in Forbes
Magazine for January, gives facts
ON Montana in a lengthy article,
which is of much interest. MIR.
Rudd says of Montana in part:
Montana is the third state in the
union in size. 1t has an area OF l46,-
600 square miles, greater than the
New England states combined, and
contains about 90,000,00O acres.
Two-thirds of the state lies east OF
the Rocky mountains and is chletly
prairie. broken in the central ana
southern portions by small mountain
ranges. About one-half of the state
east of the mountains is CLASSIFIED as
farm land, or approximately 3O,OOO,-
900 acres. This leaves about 5O,OOO'-
600 acres suitable for grazing lands
east of the mountains and about 3O'-
100000 acres mountainous and Tim
bered.
The most dependable estimate Oh
the amount of land actually under
cultivation is about 100000 acres,
leaving about 24,000,000 acres farm
land vet to be placed under cuitiya-
ton. The number of farms has in
creased from 20,214 in 1910 to BIZ
AL in 1920.
The progress of farming in all OF
northern Montana is reflected In ad-
ditional growth of all the older CIT
les, in new and substantial puDllc
buildings and public improvements,
large school houses and business
buildings and in the many new towns
that have grown up. >,
Oats are one of the staple crops OF
Montana and the quality of the grain
raised is unexcelled. While the legal
standard is 80 pounds of oats to the
bushel, Montana oats average upward
of 40 pounds and frequently 5O
pounds to the bushel. Montana oats
are in demand by cereal mills for
use in breakfast foods. The ylela
per acre in 1922 was 80 bushels and
in 1928 "a bushels.
Flax is usually the first crop to
be planted on new sod, and with
three-fourths of Montana's agricul-
tural lands still to be brought under
cultivation, this crop is destined 10
occupy an important place on Mon
tana farms for many years to come. |
1t is one of the surest crops for nom
irrigated farms and its monetary |
value is high. The yield per acre is
1928 was 9 bushels against z bush
els in 1922, and the area under Gull
tfvation increased $4,000 acres.
In the eastern part of the state
corn growing is becoming perman-
emit part of the crop rotation, and on
the non-irrigated farms is supplant-
ing summer fallow in the alternate
years. The experience of twenty years
has demonstrated that certain varfe-
ties of corn are acclimated to Mon
tana conditions. The crop is viewed
with favor because its moisture re-
uuirements are less than wheat and
it furnishes fodder in dry years.
Montana has received widespread
on it's potatoes. Montana
potatoes usually command prem
ium in the eastern markets because
they are good eaters" and fine
keepers"
Montana has two factories for
handling sugar beets. One is To-
Gated at Billings in the Yellowstone
valley, the other at Missoula in the
Bitter Root valley. Experience has
oAOWu lhdI AL PAOANSSAOA
quality Montana beets are unsur-
passed. Yields of over twenty tons
to the acre are raised and the aver
age for the entire acreage is high.
Montana has long been noted as
one of the leading states in range
cattle, horse, and sheep production.
This industry has mainly been han
died on large ranches on grazing ;
basis. It will continue to be prof
liable industry on waste and graz
ing lands, and the production of win
ter feed by settlers on the great irri-
cation projects Is certain to greatly i
expand and promote this line of ag-
ricultural activity in the state by
placing at the command of the stock
man this supply of feed. 1t is doubt '
full If any other part of the United
States offers greater opportunities in
this industry.
The production of livestock in con-
nection with farming is also certain
to greatly increase the output of the
state. Advance in breeding will add
greatly to the value of livestock also.