94 MONTANA: INDUSTRIAL KES'OUKCES 



on the southwest, and to the crest of the Little Belt moimtaias on the northeast. 

 Between these ranj;es lies the Smith River and many smaller valle.vs. In the 

 southern part the Castle Mountains, an isolated ran.tre, rise. The Crazy Moun- 

 tains, another i.solated ranw. extend over from the south in the suutheastern 

 corner. This part of the count.\' is in the Musselshell river draiuajie system. 

 Practically all the farming land is in the .southern and eastern parts. 



Farming is confined to the lower valleys and bench lands, the higher lauds 



being devoted to forage and grazing purposes. Both irrigated and non-irrigated 



farming is doiie. and it is estimated an additional 20.0(K) acres 



Take Up can he reclaimed at reasonable cost. Spring wheat is the 



Dairying chief grain crop. Oats and barley, generally grown for seed, 



yield well. Alfalfa is the principal forage croii luider irrigation. 

 Moistiu'e is the controlling factor of crop ])rodnction on the non-irrigated lands 

 and its successful conservation requires that careful cultural practices be fol- 

 lowed. Rapid progress is being made in dairying. In the past two years more 

 than a thousand dairy cows have been shipped into the county. The largest 

 dair.v barn in the state is located in the county. A creamery was opened in 1923 

 at White Sulphur Springs which furnishes a home market for the new industry. 

 More than a fourth of the county's area is included within national forests 

 which furni.sh summer grazing. Tlie range sheep industry is more important 

 than the range cattle business. Some of the largest stock-growing outfits in the 

 state operate in Meagher county. 



Meagher county has produced in commercial (piantites gold, silver, copper, 

 and lead. There are large deposits of iron ore in the northern part of the 

 county, which are reported to be of high grade, but not enough development has 

 been done to determine their economic value. Oil shale, manganese and coal are 

 also found. There are three well defined structures in the county which ma.v be 

 valuable for oil. The Ringling structure and the Potter Basin structure ai'e being 

 drilled (1923). 



The main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul traverses the southern 

 part of the county, and a branch line from Rinsling runs to AA'hite Sulphur 

 Springs, 18 miles north. The eastern I'ark-to-Park highway, from the Gardiner 

 entrance of Yellowstone Park to the Glacier entrance of Glacier Park, crosses the 

 county north and south, and there is also an east and west highway via Ilar- 

 lowton. Ringling and Helena. 



White Sulphur Springs, one of the old established towns of Montana, is the 

 county .seat. It is well built, modern, and for many years was rated as one of the 

 richest towns, per capita, in the state. Ringling is a shipping and distributing 

 point for a considerable area. 



Scenei'y, fishing and big game limiting in season are among the county's 

 tourist attractions. The springs after which the town of White Sulphur is named 

 are reputed to be of high curative value. They are owned by the Ringling family 

 of circus fame and their development into a resort has been projected. 



MEAGHER COUNTY — Ranks fifty-second in population (2,622); twenty-ninth in 

 area (1,516,160 acres); twenty-third in combined 1922 crop and livestock value: thirty- 

 first in 1920 mineral production; forty-fifth in bank deposits. 1922; thirty-eighth in 

 assessed valuation. 1922. Acres public land, 5,400; acres state land, 82.984: acres 

 national forests, 437.933. 



WEALTH PRODUCTION — Estimated 1922 crop value, $586,400; estimated live- 

 stork value January. 1923, $2,761,700; metal production. 1920, $2,756; 1921 lumber cut, 

 168 M feet: t'>tal hank deposits September 15, 1922, $585,439. 



TAXATION 1922 — Total assessed valuation. $16,652,620: total taxable value, 

 $5,277,487. Total outstanding county bond indebtedness, $447,000; total outstanding 

 county warrant indebtedness, $41,616: total outstanding school bond indebtedness, 

 $111,891: other school debts, $240. Total general and special county taxes, $121,850: 

 total general and district school taxes, $76,903: total municipal taxes, $11,331; total 

 state taxes. $26,015: total tax (inclusive municipal), per capita, $90.04. 



EDUCATIONAL — Number graded schools, 28: enrollment, 414. Number high schools, 

 2; enrollment, 76. 



