Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-07-04
INDIANS KNEW
GRASS WAS TRUE
WESTERN ASSET
BUT MANY TRAGIC EXPERIENCES
SUFFERED BY WHITES BE-
FORE THEY AWAKENED

of Montana that the grass on tbs
plains and In the mountain valleys i
their natural heritage.
Dr.. Butler, who holds the titles OF
state veterinary surgeon, secretary and
executive officer Of the Montana i've
stock sanitary board and director OF
laboratories for the sanitary board
has always remembered the remark OF
q Sioux Indian chief many years ago
when he saw the prairie sod being
plowed up by an early homesteader.
Wrong side up" the chief grunted
It has required nearly three-quar-
ters of a century and many q tragic
story written in the dust Of the dry
lands Of Montana to illustrate just
exactly what the old Indian chief
meant.
But the agriculture and livestock
experts at Montana State college, the
veteran agriculture statistician Jay @.
Diamond In Helena and DR.. Butler
himself believe that there Is a general
understanding today throughout Mon
tana agricultural circles of the value
Of grass, more particularly Montana
grass.
Grass Is Real Basis
For grass forms the basis, not only
for Montana's greatest industry-live-
stock-but for the existence Of the
human race. Grass In its various
forms including alfalfa, timothy, wild
hay. tame hay, grain hay, barley, oats
and corn when translated into cattle,
calves, sheep lambs, hogs, wool, horses,
mules. poultry and dairy products,
Melted Montana farmers and ranchers
z.so. Ann mn nno Iocf
The market prices are better this
year and, according to United States
department of agriculture experts in
the Helena office, the prospects are
much better than last for both crops
and livestock.
Strange to say, Montana came
tragically close to losing its natural
heritage-grass. Many another west
ern state suffered similar experience.
Remember the dust bowl?
But Montana suffered an extra dose
of the retribution of Mother Nature.
The story lies hidden In statistics
Of a half-dozen federal agencies and
the observation Of the Indian chief
plays major role.
Montana, as the Indians knew it,
was a broad expanse of lush grass,
forest land, rivers, lakes and noun
tains. In many places the grass in
those ancient days grew shoulder high,
just as the barley and oats grow to-
day.
1t covered like q vast carpet what
seemed to be limitless space. On 1t
the millions of buffalo grazed, turn
ing the nutritious product Of the rich
soil into muscle and bone and hide,
Just as the cattle, calves, sheep, lambs,
horses, mules, deer and other animals
do today.
And years ago the Indian depended
for his livelihood, food, clothing and
shelter, on the buffalo, the deer, the
bear-the animals of the field, Just as
the people of Montana do today.
The Indian was content to live and
let live. But the white man came and
he wanted to change things. He killed
off the buffalo, Of which there were
so many that in their nigrations to
fresh grazing grounds they were
known to delay steamboats, on the
upper Missouri for days. He killed Just
for the sport Of killing.
Flowing "WOrst Crime"
But perhaps the worst crime Of the
white man was In turning the sod
wrong side up"
White men began to gather in force
Ia Montana In 1870. In that year there
were 851 farmers. But In the short
space of half a century, from 1870 to
1920, the white man had invaded
Montana in vast numbers. In 1920
there were 57,677 farms and 548,889
people. Between 1900 and 1920 the
population had almost doubled.
What had lured the white people !
to Montana was, of course, the prom
Ise of riches-riches in minerals and
riches In industry and riches in ag-
riculture. But chiefly they had come |
because of the lure of riches in ag-
riculture The federal government had
thrown much Of the state open to
homeSteaders.
Uncle Sam, as the saying used to
90, bet a piece of land ranging IN size
from 800 to $40 acres against few
dollars that a homesteader could not |
live on the land five years.
Between 1870 and 1922, 221 ,259 home
stead entries had been filed on a.
BE, 1888 acres of lush prairie covered
Montana land.
Al O4AC JCcA4 ehAO14Cy 4oAOb AAyOoA ASAA4~-
stead entries had been filed. From 1910
10 1917 the average homestead filings
ranged from 5000 to 1900 a year.
The story that Montana land never
Produced less than 20 bushels to the
acre, and quite often produced as
much as go or 100 bushels an acre,
mad spread far and wide. And the
tory was true as far as the years be-
;ween 1900 and 1917 are concerned.
still Going Strong
There is no record Of the number
II acres Of prairie hand that was
11rned wrong side up" from 1900 30
e17, the years OF the great invasion
II homesteaders, but most certainly
he plowed acreage ran into the mil
ions, because In recent years more
han 100000 acres OF plowed land
lave been allowed to return TO grass,
ither naturally or by reseeding. And
he yearly rate of return to prairie
and Is still IN the millions OF acres
nd stan going strong.
What happened2
Came one of the periodic drouth