SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA 



57 



$419,867. Total general and special county taxes, $193,749; total general and district 

 school taxes, $282,825; total municipal taxes, $33,857; total state taxes, $39,434; total 

 tax (inclusive municipal), per capita, $35.98. 



EDUCATIONAL — Number graded schools, 65; enrollment, 3,542. Number high 

 schools, 8; enrollment, 528. 



BUSINESS STATISTICS — Number of railroads, 3: railway mileage, exclusive spurs 

 and sidetracks, 121.37. Number of manufactures, 47; average number wage earners, 

 146; value of products, $761,218. Number of banks. 13. Number general stores, 36; 

 confectionery, etc., 17; groceries and meats, 30; lumber yards, 13; total number mer- 

 chants, 273. Total assessed valuation 1922 merchandise, $620,933. Number grain ele- 

 vators, 14; total capacity, 383,000. Number creameries, 2. Number flour mills, 1. 

 Number saw mills, 4. Number of lawyers, 11. Number of physicians, 12. 



AGRICULTURE (1920 census) — Number farms, 1.353; farm acreage, 446,386; im- 

 proved farm acreage, 178,503: irrigated acreage. 99,336; average value all property, per 

 farm, $15,454. Livestock assessed 1922 — number cattle, 18,672; number sheep, 27,709; 

 number horses, 8,961; number swine (census), 8,707. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA — At Bridger. Elevation, 3.664 feet. Average date last 

 killing frost in spring. May 19; average date first killing frost in fall. September 14. 



No. Yrs. 

 Record Jan.Feb.Mar.Apr. May June July Aug. 



Ave. Prec 12 .26 .23 .34 .81 1.73 1.44 .62 .65 



Mean Temp 12 20.7 23.9 34.6 45.1 53.4 63.5 68.6 66.5 



County Seat, Red Lodge Population County Seat, 4,515. 

 County Agricultural Agent — No. 



Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 



1.57 1.25 .19 .39 

 57.2 45.3 35.5 23.0 



An- 

 nual 



9.48 

 44.8 



YELLOWSTONE COUNTY 



A 



FIRMLY established system of diversified 

 farming on well tilled irrigated lands, 

 plus a strategic location for trade distribu- 

 tion in an interstate territory are the pri- 

 mary factors that have given Yellowstone 

 county the third largest population and 

 made Billings the third largest city in the 

 state and the leading city of eastern Mon- 

 tana. The possibilities of the region are 

 lieginning to be realized but their develop- 

 ment has scarcely begun. 



Yellowstone county lies in south central 

 Montana. From the confluence of the Big 

 Horn with the Y'ellowstone River it extends 

 southwesterly about 74 miles, and from the 

 Bull Moimtains on the north it stretches 

 .■southward about oo miles. The Yellowstone 

 River flows the entire length, and the 

 fertile valley lands bordering it are prac- 

 in cultivation. Soil types in the valley range from 

 Xon-irrigated farming is the prevailing method on 

 the uplands back of the valley, and a sandy loam the predominating soil type. 



Spring wheat is the principal crop in the non-irrigated districts, but the 

 acreage in corn is rapidly being increased, and a more diversified system of farm- 

 ing is being evolved. Sugar beets, beans, dairying, swine rais- 

 ing and winter feeding of livestock, principally sheep, supple- 

 ment the production of small grain in the irrigated districts. A 

 number of pure-bred herds of beef and dairy cattle and of hogs 

 have been established a long time. Yellowstone county is the chief producer of 

 sugar beets and bean.s ; it fattens more sheep and cattle for winter and spring 

 markets than any other part of the state, and it has Iieen the pioneer in the 

 movement for the establishment of irrigated pastures which carry two cows 

 to the acre during the growing season. Records of four of the thirty-two cows 

 owned by the United States Department of Agriculture that were placed on official 



tically all under irrigation and 

 silt clays to heavy clay loam. 



Diversification 

 Established 



