NORTH EASTERN MONTANA 



^ 



Ranks First in Wheat and Oats — Lirtle Irrigated Land Outside of the Milk River 



Valley and Fort Peck Reservation — Tendency to 



Abandon the One-Crop System. 



Nortli Eastern Montana is nmre nearly exclnsively ayricultnral in diaracter 

 than any other district in the state. Daniels. Sheridan and Roosevelt counties, 

 which occupy the eastern part, aside from coal minins;. are devoted almost wholly 

 to farming. Most of the land south of the Milk River, in Phillips and Valley 

 comities, which occupy the western part, is devoted to stockraising. 



Non-irrigated farming predominates, there being practically no irrigated lands 

 outside of the Milk River valley and the old Fort Peck Indian reservation. Both 

 of these are government projects. Reclamation has proceeded faster than settle- 

 ment and development in the Milk River valley, the lands of which have been 

 devoted chiefly to native hay and operated in units so large as to preclude diver- 

 sified farming, though well adapted to it. In the past year or two a movement 

 has developed to reduce the size of the units and bring in farmers. 



Production on non-irrigated land in the three eastern counties makes this the 

 banner wheat producing district. It is first in oats. Scobey. in Daniels county, 

 lays claim to being the largest primary wheat market in the world. The one-crop 

 system has prevailed since farming began fifteen years ago. but recently there has 

 been an increase in the corn acreage ; dairying is developing, and other evidences 

 exist of a movement toward diversification. 



The northwestern part of the district is handicapped by lack of rail facilities. 



Elevations, 1,900 to 2.490 feet. The growing season is three and a half to 

 four months. 



ROOSEVELT COUNTY 



w 



t 



souri River its southern border: 



ITH 95 per cent of its area tillable and a 

 tenth irrigable. Roosevelt county, which, 

 with only a sixth of its acreage improved, 

 ranks eighth in crop production, seems des- 

 tined to be one of the banner agricultural 

 districts of the state when more of its lands 

 are cultivated. Two-thirds of its area is in- 

 cluded within the Fort Peck Indian reserva- 

 tion. Some years ago the reservation was 

 opened to homesteading on an appraised 

 land basis, and while many filings were 

 made, much of the homestead land and 

 many tracts belonging to Indians are not 

 being farmed at present. 



Roosevelt county lies in northeastern 

 ^lontana. It is about S5 miles long, east 

 and west, and from IS to 36 miles wide, 

 north and south. The Dakota-Montana 

 boundary marks its eastern, and the Mis- 

 Non-irrigated farming will always be the 



117 



