80 MONTANA: INDUSTRIAL KESOURCES 



ruUiug prairies sloping away from the Yellowstone valley embrace the largest 

 areas. Soil types on the uplands range from samly to clay k)ams. The lower 

 valley soils are mostly heavy claj loams. 



For almost half a century this was in the heart of the range stock region 



and the industry was conilucted ou an extensive scale. The grazing areas were 



broken up by the homesteading movement in 1905-1010 and 



Increase with few exceptions the old-time cattle empires have been 



Livestock divided into smaller farms. Non-irrigated farming prevails. 



Holdings Spring wheat is the chief cash corp, with corn and summer fal- 



low as the alternate cropping system used in rotations. The 

 low elevation and the long growing season are favorable to corn, which does 

 well on both the bottom and the uplands, producing good yields of both fodder 

 and grain. Since corn became a standard crop, there has been a pronounced in- 

 terest taken in hog growing, and the county is establishing a reputation as a 

 producer of pure-bred swine. The trend at present is to increase all livestock 

 Jioldings so as to provide a cash market for corn. There is a co-operative livestock 

 shipping association. 



Engineers estimate 52.000 acres in Yellowstone and Powder River valleys can 

 be irrigated. A pumping project is contemplated looking to the reclamation of V2o.- 

 0(X) acres along the Yellowstone in Custer. Rosebud, Prairie and Dawson comities. 



There are extensive areas tuulerlain with coal, which has been commerciall.v 

 mined in a limited way for home markets. Natural gas has been found on 

 Cabin Creek, in the eastern part of the county. 



The main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. I'aul enters the county in 

 the southeastern quarter, and runs northwesterly to Terry on the Yellowstone 

 River, which it follows westward. The main line of the Northern Pacific parallels 

 the river all the way across the county, as does the National Parks highway from 

 the Twin Cities, while the Yellowstone Trail follows the Milwaukee. 



Terry is situated near the geographical center of the county in a natural 

 artesian basin. It is the principal shipping and distributing center and has 

 modern municipal impro\ enients. Mildred is the largest community in the south 

 end of the cmuity. Fallon, on the Northern I'acific, is a sliipping point for the 

 eastern district. 



PRAIRIE COUNTY — Ranks forty-eigrhth in population (3.684); thirty-ninth in area 

 (1,114.880 acres); thirty-eightli in combined 1922 crop and livestock value; twenty-fourth 

 in 19:i0 mineral production; forty-first in bank deposits, 1922; forty-second in assessed 

 valuation, 1922. Acres public land, 38.695; acres state land, 58,698. 



WEALTH PRODUCTION — Kstimated 1922 crop value, $936,700; estimated livestock 

 value, .Ianuar\-. i;i23. $1,325,700; coal production, 1920, $15,615; total bank deposits, 

 September 15, 1922. .■?685.144. 



TAXATION 1922 — Total assessed valuation, $15,4^3,877; total taxable value, 

 $5,164,374. Total outstanding county bond indebtedness, $147,500; total outstanding 

 county warrant indebtedness-. $584; total outstanding school bond indebtedness, $87,181; 

 other school debts. $4,017. Total general and special county taxes, $92,463; total general 

 and district school taxes, $100,521; total municipal taxes, $14,035; total state taxes, 

 $24,669; total tax (inclusive municipal), per capita, $62.89. 



EDUCATIONAL — Number graded schools, 49; enrollment, 841. Number high 

 schools. 2; enrollment, 73. 



BUSINESS STATISTICS — Number of railroads, 2; railway mileage, exclusive of 

 spurs and sidetracks, 76.72. Number of manufactures, 4; average number wage earners, 

 6; value of products, $27,738. Number of banks. 4. Number general stores, 6; confec- 

 tionery, etc., 4; groceries and meats, 4; lumber yards, 4; total number merchants, 53. 

 Total assessed valuation 1922 merchandise, $197,985. Number grain elevators, 5; total 

 capacitv. 120.000 bushels. Number of lawyers, 5. Number of phvsicians, 2. 



AGRICULTURE (1920 census) — Number farms. 673; farm acreage, 548,989; im- 

 proved farm acreage. 126,134; irrigated aci-eage. 486; average value all property, per 

 farm. .?15.307. Livestock assessed 1922 — number cattle, 14,258; number sheep, 23,560; 

 number lioises. 10.156: number swine (census), 999. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA — At Fallon. Elevation. 2,211 feet. Average date last 

 killing frost in spring. May 27; average date first killing frost in fall, September 18. 



No. Yrs. An- 



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



Ave. Prec 11 .35 .19 .31 .48 2.7 3.29 1.02 1.69 1.23 .95 .34 .22 13.69 



Mean Temp 12 10.4 15.1 30.3 45.7 52.8 63.4 70.4 68.1 58.7 .45 32.9 17.7 42.5 



County Seat, Terry. Population County Seat, 794. 



County Agricultural Agent — Yes. 



