CUSTER COUNTY. 



Custer county is no longer one of the great "cow counties" of the state. It has 

 rapidly changed in the last few years to a county of diversified farming and as an 

 agricultural county ranks among the best in the state. No longer do vast herds 

 roam at will over the range. Their course of travel is blocked by miles of three and 

 four strand barbed-wire fences. Farm houses dot the great areas which were once 

 used by the long-horn and the white-face. 



The county, like many others in the state, has been cut down by organization 

 of new counties, notwithstanding which fact, the present area contains the popula- 

 tion that the county had in its original form and vastly more wealth. It is one of 

 the fastest growing counties of Montana. 



The county is well watered by the Yellowstone river which flows through the 

 northwestern part and by the Tongue and Powder rivers which rise in Wyoming and 

 drain the southern part. Mizpah river is a tributary of Powder river and Pumpkin 

 creek of Tongue river. All these streams have valleys of varying width, back 

 from which extend bench lands. 



Hundreds of acres of wheat, oats, flax, rye, barley and corn have been planted 

 and are being planted where in former years, cattle reigned supreme. Silos are being 

 built, dairy herds are being installed. It has been said that "corn fills the silos, 

 silos the cows, cows the separators and separators the creameries" and butter fat 

 brings a big price. The separated milk is left on the farm to feed the pigs and 

 chickens. This branch of farming is one of the most profitable in the county. 



Nearly every grain, vegetable and fruit known in the northwest part of the 

 country is grown in Custer county. Oats, wheat, barley, rye, corn, cabbage, ruta- 

 bagas, pumpkins, squash, peppers, egg-plant, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans, celery, 

 are a partial list. Its exhibit at the State Fair annually is one of the big attractions 

 from an agricultural standpoint. Watermelons and canteloupes grow to perfection 

 and strawberries of fine flavor find a ready market. Peaches, pears, apples, crab- 

 apples, currants and raspberries do well. 



Alfalfa is a leading crop and horses and cattle thrive on it. Two cuts a year 

 are harvested. Oats yield from 50 to 100 bushels and wheat has yielded as high as 

 50 bushels an acre. 



The county offers exceptional opportunities for the tiller of the soil who has 

 enough money to buy land at a reasonable price, put up his home and start farm- 

 ing. Eastern markets are easily reached and the best prices are paid for produce. 



The chief town is Miles City, which is also the county seat, it is located at 

 the junction of the Tongue and Yellowstone rivers and is an up-to-date city of more 

 than 8,000 people. It has two daily and three weekly newspapers, a number of 

 manufacturing plants, retail and wholesale stores. It is the distributing point for 

 a large territory, ships more horses, cattle, sheep and wool than any other town 

 of its size in the country and is a division point for the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget 

 Sound railroad with a big payroll. Miles City is the greatest primary horse market 

 in the world. The stockyards embrace 50 acres and auctions are held every month. 

 Near the city is Fort Keough, an army remount station, where many horses are 

 purchased yearly and trained for cavalry service. With the beginning of war, Miles 

 City has been a favorite purchasing point for horses for foreign armies. 



The climate is similar to that of Wisconsin, with a mean temperature of 44 

 degrees. The altitude is about 2,300 feet, severe storms are rare. In an average year, 

 175 days are clear, 125 are partly cloudy and from 65 to 80 days are rainy. The 

 normal raiUall, about 15 inches, falls largely during the growing season. Cottonwood 

 and ash trees grow near streams and pine and cedar in the hills. The county is 

 underlaid with lignite coal which provides cheap fuel. 



There are about 792,000 acres of unappropriated land in the county subject to 

 homestead entry, with probably 30,000 to 40,000 of this tillable. Most of the homestead 

 land close to railroads has been taken up. A man who has $2,500 or $3,000 can buy a 

 piece of land close to market which will bring him excellent returns. There are more 

 than 205,000 acres of state land, which has been selected with an eye to its availability 

 as farming land. This may be bought at auction for a reasonable amount. Probably 

 340,000 acres are in the forest reserves. Custor county desires to go into sugar beet 

 raising and a canning factory is also needed to take care of the large amount of 

 vegetables raised there. 



The assessed valuation of the county in 1918 is $20,703,257 including railroad 

 property. 



