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THE TREASURE STATE 163; 



hood. Jardine and Crevasse are mining camps near the Yellowstone Park entrance; 

 and the New World mining district, in the high mountain range in the south- 

 eastern corner, of which Cooke city is the trading point, is highly mineralized, 

 has been developed to a considerable extent, needs, it is said, only a railroad to 

 become one of the greatest producing mineral districts in the United States. The 

 developed coal mines are at Aldridge, in the southern part of the county, and at 

 Trail Creek near the Gallatin county line. Marble and gypsum have been found 

 and cement rock of a superior quality. It is proposed to erect a mill that will manu- 

 facture white cement. 



Park county has much excellent grazing land on which pasture livestock of 

 excellent grade. 



The agricultural industry, which is growing rapidly in importance, embraces 

 farming of irrigated lands in the valleys and of unirrigated lands on the benches 

 and in the foothills. The soil is fertile and crop yields challenge comparison with 

 those grown anywhere. Oats, wheat, barley and alfalfa are the chief crops in 

 the irrigated districts and truck farming and fruit growing are also engaged in 

 to a limited extent. All root crops make remarkable yields. On the unirrigated 

 lands, wheat, oats and barley are the leading crops. 



The Yellowstone valley, south of the canyon near Livingston, embraces a large 

 and productive farming district and another part of the valley lies east of the 

 city. The largest farming district, however, is the Shields river valley embracing 

 the northern part of the county and including arable land estimated as amounting 

 to 800,000 acres. Until the construction, a few years ago, of the Shields river 

 branch line of the Northern Pacific, this vast area of fertile farm land was, except 

 in the lower part, devoted to stock raising. It has been rapidly transformed into 

 farms, but many acres still remain unplowed. Great crops of all grains and 

 grasses are produced in this favored region. 



Taking the county as a whole the yields of leading crops every year are about 

 as follows per acre: irrigated wheat, 45 to 60 bushels; unirrigated wheat, 25 to 35 

 bushels; irrigated oats, 70 to 90 bushels; unirrigated oats, 40 to 60 bushels. Many 

 crops exceed these figures. Alfalfa yields from 2% to 5 tons. About 100,000 tons 

 of hay are annually cut and there is a good demand for all that is not needed 

 for home consumption. 



The estimated population of Park county is 14,690 and the assessed valuation 

 is $10,985,589. 



LAND AREA — Park county embraces an area of 2,679 square miles, including 

 54,660 acres of unreserved and unappropriated public land available for entry under 

 the homestead law, 39,606 acres of state land, and 898,382 acres of national 

 forests. Of the total area of the county, 675,407 acres are privately owned. 



CROP PRODUCTION — The following gives the estimated crop production for 

 1915: wheat, 1,750,000 bushels; oats, 875,000 bushels; barley, 125,000 bushels; 

 corn, 7,000 bushels; potatoes, 200,000 bushels; hay, 67,000 tons. 



In 1915, the assessor's rolls showed the following livestock: horses, 8,857 

 head; milch cows, 2,667 head; other cattle, 18,912 head; sheep, 74,925 head; 

 swine, 4,878 head. 



PHILLIPS COUNTY. 



Phillips county was created in February, 1915, from the eastern portion of 

 Blaine county and the western portion of Valley county. Generally speaking, this 

 section of the state is devoted almost exclusively to farming and stockgrowing, 

 although in the southern portion of Phillips county there are a number of producing 

 gold mines. 



