Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-07-08
RICH FARMING DISTRICT IM EASTERN MONTANA
WILL BE TAPPED BY NORTHERN PACIFIC Lime

- N May rs the interstate
commission granted the applica-
ton Of the Northern Pacific Rail-
way company for permission to
construct q line OF railroad running i n q
northwesterly direction from Glendive to
Circle. the county seat of McCone
ty, and thence up the Redwater valley
to Brockway. Portions of Dawson, Prai-
RE. Garfield and McCone counties Will
be benefited through the transportation
facilities thus provided. There Will be
opened up for development an immense
area Of land adapted to a wide variety OF
crops such as fax, wheat, corn, oats. al
falfa, sweet clover, garden vegetables.
etc, 1t puts an entirely new aspect on
this large area Of fertile, we'll sodded
prairie land where 1t has already been
demonstrated by the pioneers who have
been IN the territory for q humble OF
years that farming operations may be
successfully undertaken. An exceptional
opportunity is thus provided Tor new set
tiers who will come to occupy the farm
lands in the Redwater valley. The new
conner will have the benefit OF the work
already done by the pioneer agricultur-
ists-it remains only for them to follow
their lead and SO avoid the hazards
which the early settlers had to overcome.
1t is interesting to note that during
recent years there has been developed in
southeastern Montana a type OF agricul-
ture adapted to the climatic n SOIL con-
ditions which are there PRESENT. 1T is
said that there is no area in the North
west where there is such a large quantity
of unoccupied land OF good tillaple char-
acter as in this locality.
According to official records, the Red
water country has the second largest
rainfall in Montana, approximately oo
per cent of which falls during the grow
ing months. The topography is such
that special opportunity exists for the
use of big scale methods on a low cost
per acre basis. The soil is reported as
being a good sandy loan, free from stone
and brush and easily plowed M ham
died. 1t is reasonable to assume That
! farmers from the middle west where lana
values and taxes are high VIII come 10
this locality where land values and taxes
are low and where there Is tne oppor-
tunity to use combination harvesters,
big teams, tractors and miscellaneous
machinery adapted to an extensive type
Of operation. !,
while the country now being opened
up is in fact in the pioneer class and may
properly be termed the last frontier,
there are, nevertheless, well established
towns. good schools and churches, and
comfortable living conditions. The farm
ers now on the ground have come from
almost every state in the Union and are
OF numerous ~nationalities and religious
faiths. In many instances telephone
lines have been provided and good ROADS
have generally been built.
Mr.. w. E. Holt, district sales agent for
the Northern Pacific land department,
with offices at Glendiv n Miles City,
states that the Northern Pacific proposes
to continue in a very aggressive manner
its lane settlement program and espe-
cially with respect to the Redwater
country. The land department had dur
ing the past -four years been successful
in attracting settlers to the cheap lands
In southeastern Montana. The land
holdings of the Northern Pacific in Nc
Cone, Garfield, Prairie and Dawson coun-
ties are extensive and the company Is
interested in placing its lands In the
hands of competent farmers who through
this new railroad construction will be
given a way to market their products
prontably and economically.
In the old range days Of eastern Mon
tana the Redwater country was stocked
with large bands OF sheep and cattle.
The big outfits OF the south shipped In