2256 NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



Trees were freighted long distances, which made prices 

 almost prohibitive. Seeds were brought across the 

 plains and planted, and, when the trees were of suffi- 

 cient size, cions came by mail and were grafted into 

 them. In 1864, trees were planted in the Missouri 

 Valley by John G. Pickering, some of which are still 

 bearing. There are bearing orchards in Madison, Clarks 

 Fork, Flathead, and other valleys, that were planted 

 in the early seventies. In 1864, T. W. Harris planted 

 the first apple tree in the Bitter Root Valley, on the 

 bench tributary to Three Mile Creek. He brought the 

 tree by horseback from Walla Walla, Washington. In 

 1870, the Bass Brothers planted the first commercial 

 orchard in the valley near Stevensville, and in 1898 

 they marketed about 10,000 boxes of Transcendent 

 crabs. The first Mclntosh Reds were planted near 

 Stevensville by Amos Buck in 1877; these trees are 

 still strong, healthy, and productive. This variety 

 early demonstrated its adaptability to Montana con- 

 ditions, and has proved very remunerative. Early 

 recognizing this fact, and the high quality it develops 

 in Montana conditions, D. E. Bandman planted one of 

 the first commercial orchards near Missoula which con- 

 sisted of 1,500 Mclntosh Reds, and a few other mixed 

 sorts. 



The Bitter Root Valley has a mean altitude of 3,300 

 feet. It is about 100 miles long, lying in the south- 

 western part of the state, east of the Bitter Root Range. 

 It varies in width from 1 to 20 miles, and is traversed 

 its entire length by the Bitter Root River which empties 

 into the Missoula River near Missoula. The bitter- 

 root flower is very abundant, in the Bitter Root Valley 

 and the Missoula Valley. This valley has seen the 

 greatest horticultural development of any section in the 

 state, the Flathead Valley ranking next in order of 

 development; after which come the Missoula Valley, 

 the Plains Valley, the Yellowstone, including its 

 tributary Clarks Fork, Jefferson and South Boulder. 

 The Bitter Root Valley represents as many orchard 

 acres as do the other sections combined. It has a soil 

 especially adapted to apples, cherries, pears, plums, 

 and small-fruits, while in some favored locations 

 grapes and peaches thrive. Sweet cherries, particularly 

 the varieties Bing, Lambert, and Royal Ann, develop 

 a high degree of perfection. The soil is a decomposed 

 granite with a liberal amount of loam, and almost 

 a total absence of alkali. To one unfamiliar with 

 the formation it seems a gravelly, stony, almost 

 worthless combination, but when the cultivator is put 

 into action, water and systematic operations applied, 

 its productive powers are wonderful. The benches, 

 which are the desirable fruit areas, are so fertile that 

 there is a tendency for an overgrowth of tree, and 

 abnormal fruitage. The soil has a liberal mixture of 

 clay, but not sufficient to cause it to bake after irrigation. 

 The orchardists of the Bitter Root Valley have learned 

 that excessive watering has injured more trees than 

 has any other operation. The theory advanced that 

 fruit grown under irrigation is inferior to that grown 

 with a natural rainfall has long since been exploded. The 

 necessary amount of moisture, which can be absolutely 

 controlled under irrigation, coupled with the clear 

 atmosphere, and bright sun, develops a color, and with 

 that goes quality unexcelled. Such conditions can only 

 be found hi similar altitudes under irrigation, or syste- 

 matic frequent, cultural methods. The orchards in the 

 Bitter Root Valley range hi size from the home orchard, 

 consisting of about 100 trees including many varieties, 

 to commercial orchards of 100 to 2,000 acres each con- 

 taining only a few varieties. Many of the large tracts 

 are subdivided. During the past five years, the orchard 

 development has been very rapid, there being an aver- 

 age of 1,000,000 trees planted annually. Varieties hi the 

 orchards planted by the pioneers were principally the 

 hardy sorts, as hardiness was considered to be the 

 necessary element of the tree. This filled the valley with 



apples of an inferior quality, but later developments 

 demonstrated the fact that the conditions were favor- 

 able for the growing of higher grade fruit, hence the 

 young orchards are planted with up-to-date, standard 

 varieties. 



Some varieties of grapes are proving very satisfac- 

 tory in the state, and the tune is near at hand when 

 Montana grapes will occupy a prominent place in her list 

 of fruits. 



Although there is none of the nut-bearing trees 

 indigenous to Montana, yet black walnut, butternuts, 

 English walnuts, chestnuts, filberts and hickories thrive 

 when planted in the state, and where sufficiently old 

 they are producing annual crops of nuts. 



Small-fruits are grown in all parts of the state with 

 unparalleled success. Every ranch home in the state can 

 be supplied with small-fruits from the home patch, if 

 the proper varieties are selected and given good care. 



Great success has been achieved in the growing of 

 vegetables wherever it has been tried. In all of the 

 newly settled parts of the state, as well as in the older 

 developed valleys, wherever locations are carefully 

 selected for the orchard and garden, fruits and vege- 

 tables can be grown to supply the home needs, and in 

 the valleys especially adapted in the different parts of 

 the state, commercial enterprises are profitable. 



The growing of the smaller vegetables, such as peas, 

 beans, and the like, is being stimulated by the establish- 

 ment of canning factories. A very large one, located at 

 Bass Spur in the Bitter Root Valley, is handling peas, 

 beans, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and all of the 

 different fruits. The cantaloupe and watermelon 

 industry is becoming a prominent factor in the Yellow- 

 stone Valley near Billings. Cucumber-growing for 

 pickles is a leading branch of the vegetable-growing 

 in the Yellowstone Valley. A pickle factory at Billings 

 consumes the product from a large acreage. 



The growing of vegetable seed is becoming one of 

 the leading industries hi some parts of the state. Seed 

 pea-growing has been especially remunerative in val- 

 leys where tried. The growing of alfalfa seed is a lead- 

 ing enterprise in many of the dry-land sections in the 

 eastern part of the state. Montana alfalfa seed always 

 stands foremost in the markets. 



A rapidly growing demand for the winter flowers to 

 supply the Pacific coast trade has induced the leading 

 florists in the important cities to increase their output 

 until it has become one of the leading branches of the 

 florists' trade. New plants have been built for this 

 purpose and many of the older ones have been enlarged. 



There is a great increase hi the demand for orna- 

 mentals in the cities and towns, and also in the country 

 districts. Some of the nurserymen are catering to this 

 branch of trade almost exclusively, only growing fruit- 

 trees sufficient to supply local demands. 



Bees and honey are profitable side issues with many 

 farmers and fruit-growers. Good honey always finds a 

 ready market and the quality of Montana honey is 

 unsurpassed. In the extensive alfalfa and orchard 

 sections, bees find extensive range for ideal feeding- 

 grounds. Good prices are always paid for Montana 

 comb or strained honey. 



Among those influential in developing Montana 

 horticulture may be mentioned Daniel Bandmann of 

 Missoula, one of the early planters of Mclntosh Red 

 apples, and M. H. Pierce of Plains, one of the pioneer 

 planters of the commercial orchard hi Montana. 



Public-service agencies for horticulture. 



The Land-Grant college of Montana is located at 

 Bozeman, and was established in 1893. There are two 

 members of the horticultural staff. 



The Experiment Station is located at Bozeman and 

 there is also a sub-station at Victor in the Bitter Root 

 Valley. About thirty horticultural bulletins have been 

 issued. 



