86 MONTANA: INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES 



throuffh tlio niiddlo of the county iuid then aluMiptly turns to the north and defines 

 the north half of the eastern liorcU'r. The niaxiniuni length, east and west, is 

 55 miles, and the niaxiniuni lircadlh alimit 44 miles. There is some irrigated farm- 

 ing along the hottom lands of the Musselshell valley, and it is estimated an addi- 

 tional 2(>.(HH) aeres in the county can be irrigated. 



North of the Musselshell there are chiefly rolling bench lands, devoted to non- 

 iri'igated farming. South of the rivi-r the topography is more broken and in 

 what is known as the Pine Hills district mixed grain and stock growing pre- 

 dominates. In the northern half of the county soil types range from sandy loams 

 to clay and heavy clay loams. All of them reipiire careful handling iis moisture 

 is usually a controlling factor in crop production. Koth winter and spring wheat 

 are grown, the latter being the main cash crop. The region is well adapted to 

 corn, which returns good yields of both grain and fodder. 



The average value of the coal production of the connry cuiisidciably exceeds 

 the coiuliint'd value of crop and livestock products. The coiiibincd daily produc- 

 tion of the mines near Roundup is O.iMX) to IJM) tons. It is one 



Big Coal of the leading coal districts (tf the .state. One of its mines has 



Resources the deepest shaft of any coal propei'ty west of the Mississippi. 



Millions of tons of a good grade of coal are awaiting develop- 

 ment in the P.till ^Mountains, but the mines already established have a capacity 

 larger than the present market demand. Considerable drilling for oil is being 

 d(me in the Devils Basin and other potential oil fields of the county in the hope 

 that with depth larger flows of lighter grade oil will be encountered. I'ractically 

 all the present production of oil is used in the fields. Sapphires have been found 

 from time to time in the Arkwright Bench district. 



The main line of the Chicago, :Milwaukee & St. I'aul Railway follows the 

 Musselshell River and is paralleled by a main east and west highway. The 

 Custer Battlefield highway crosses the county north and south. 



Roundup, the largest town and county s(>at, has all modern municipal im- 

 provements. The coal mines lie within four miles of the city, which is also an 

 important distributing and shipping point for the farm and stock districts. 



Lake Ma.son, north of Roundup, is one of the noted duck hunting districts 

 of the state. 



MUSSELSHELL COUNTY — Ranks twenty-fourth in population (8,330): seventeenth 

 in area (1,224,320 acres): forty-second in combined 1922 crop and livestock value; 

 fourth in l!t20 mineral production: twenty-fourth in bank deposits, 1922; thirty-third in 

 assessed valuation. 1922. Acres public land. 3,862; acres state land, 52,966. 



WEALTH PRODUCTION — Estimated 1922 crop value. $732,900; estimated live- 

 stock value, January, 1923, $1,065,500; coal production, 1920, $3,422,000; 1921 lumber 

 cut, 416 yi feet; total bank deposits, September 15, 1922, $1,320,148. 



TAXATION 1922 — Total assessed valuation, $19,382,385; total taxable value, 

 $7,480,868. Total outstanding county bond indebtedness, $1,174,748; total outstanding 

 county warrant indebtedness, $156,543; total outstanding school bond indebtedness, 

 $244,306; other school debts, $19,665. Total general and special county taxes, $212,854; 

 total general and district school taxes, $234,756; total municipal taxes, $86,740; total 

 state taxes, $35,060; total tax (inclusive municipal), per capita, $68.35. 



EDUCATIONAL — Number graded school, 83; enrollment, 2,185. Number high 

 schonls, 4; eiirollinent, 352. 



BUSINESS STATISTICS — Number of railroads, 1; railway mileage, exclusive spurs 

 and sidetracks, 55.02. Number of manufactures. 42; average number wage earners, 

 135; value of products, $625,645. Numl)er of banks, 6. Number general stores, 21; 

 confectionery, etc., 9; gioceries and meats. 21: lumber yards, 8: total number merchants, 

 178. Total assessed valuation 1922 merchandise, $492,197. Number grain elevators, 17; 

 total capacity, 384.000 bushels. Xumbei- creameries. 1. Number flour mills, 1. Num- 

 ber saw mills, 3. Number of lawyers, 19. Number of phvsicians, 11. 



AGRICULTURE (1920 csnsus)* — Number farms, 1,604; farm acreage, 999.389; im- 

 proved farm acreage, 382,159; irrigated acreage, 4,138; .average value all property, per 

 farm, $17,996. Livestock assessed 1922 — number cattle, 14,509; number sheep, 9,853; 

 number liorses, 7,3 72: numl)ei- swine (census), 4.309. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA — At Roundup. Elevation, 3,184 feet. Average date last 

 killing frost in spring. May 17; average date first killing frost in fall, September 



Jan. Feb. Mar. April Mav June Julv Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 

 Ave. Free. .94 .44 .69 .95 2.36 3.62 1.82 .88 1.17 .96 .68 



Ave. Temp. 24.5 24.0 31.8 44.3 51.6 64.1 72.1 66.9 59.7 46.4 35.1 



County Seat, Roundup. Population County Seat, 2,434. 



County Agricultural Agent — No. 



♦Tliese figures include the territory now in Golden Valley County. 



