SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA 



61 



proved farm acreage, 278.040: irrigated acreage, 33,039; average value all property, per 

 farm. $16,443. Livestock assessed 1922 — number cattle, 21,889; number sheep, 26,195; 

 number horses. 9,526; number swine (census), 5,381. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA — At Busteed. Elevation. 4,050 feet. Average date last 

 killing frost in .spring. May 25; average date first killing frost in fall, September 23. 



No. Yrs. An- 



Record Jan.Feb.Mar.Apr. Mav .June .July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. nual 



Ave. Prec 14 .71 .44 .75 1.21 3.08 2.16 1.46 1.19 1.76 1.34 .66 .50 14.90 



Mean Temp 13 22.2 23.5 32.9 43.1 50.0 59.5 65.8 64.0 54.9 44.5 34.8 26.3 43.5 



County Seat, Columbus. Population County Seat, 987. 



County Agricultural Agent — Yes. 



SWEET GRASS COUNTY 



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SS^-"'-""" ' ARGE areas of this county are naturally 



adapted to livestock raising. While this is 

 by far the most important industry, there 

 are other large areas suitable for farming. 

 Development has proceeded faster than set- 

 tlement, there being a considerable acreage 

 of irrigated land awaiting colonization and 

 from 25.000 to 40.000 additional acres of 

 land that is irrigable. There has been prac- 

 tically no development of the mineral pos- 

 sibilities. 



Sweet Grass county lies in south cen- 

 tral Montana. The southern third is occu- 

 pied l)y the high and rugged ranges of the 

 A])saroka and Beartooth Mountains. Much 

 of the surface of the northwestern part is 

 covered by the Crazy Mountains, a high, 

 bold isolated range. The sui'face of the 

 northeastern part is broken by the Cayuse 

 range of hills. These are the chief stoclc-raising districts and range areas. Both 

 sheep and cattle are carried, the former predominating. 



The Yellowstone valley, which midway crosses the county, east and west, and 

 the valleys of the Boulder. Big Timber, Sweet Grass, American Fork and Otter 

 Creeks are the chief agricultural areas. Alfalfa is the principal crop in the irri- 

 gated districts, winter feeding of livestock providing a market outlet. Wheat, both 

 winter and spring, is the leading cash crop in the non-irrigated districts of the 

 northern part, and occupies more than double the total acreage of hay, the second 

 leading crop. Oats is in third place. Corn is still in the crop experimental stage 

 liut results have been satisfactor.v. Dairying, bee-keeping and swine raising are 

 indicative of a growing interest in diversification. 



Chromite is probably the most important mineral resource. A deposit has 

 been traced from McLeod, on the West Fork of the Boulder River, southeasterly 

 across the county into Stillwater county, a distance of 27 miles. 

 Varied The deposit has been examined for less than four miles. Some 



Mineral chromite samples assayed were found to be suitable to the re- 



Resources ((uirements of steel manufacturers. Some coal is found, and 

 Iceland spar. Some exploration work on veins carrying lead- 

 silver ore has been done in the Crazy Moiuitains but has not been carried far 

 enough to indicate the commercial importance of tlie prospects. 



The main line of the Northern Pacific follows the Yellowstone River. The 

 drainage of the northern end of the count.v is into the Musselshell River, and 

 much of the traffic follows the water grade to the Milwaukee railroad. Rapelje 

 is the most accessible rail point from the northeastern district. The main east 

 and west highways parallel the railroad. 



