134 



MONTANA: INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES 



AGRICULTURE (1920 census) — Xo. farms, 1,060; farm acreage, 629,995; improved 

 farm acreage, 266,150; irrigated acreage. 55,754; average value all property, per farm, 

 $19,376. Livestock assessed 1922 — number cattle, 12.510; number sheep, 13.110; number 

 horses. 0.186; number swine (census), 1.908. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA — At Valier. Elevation. 3,825 feet. Average date last 

 killing frost in spring, May 21; average date first killing frost in fall, September 28. 



An- 



Jan. Feb. Mar. April May .Tune July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. nual 



Aver. Prec. .35 .22 .25 .67 1.61 2.18 1.65 1.43 1.63 .78 .21 .38 11.36 



Aver. Temp. 17.5 20.4 28.1 42.5 49.8 58.7 64.8 63.9 53.6 43.1 33.1 21.9 41.4 



County Seat, Conrad. Population County Seat, 988. 



County Agricultural Agent — Yes. 



LIBERTY COUNTY 



f 







NE of the smallest counties in the state in 

 area and itnpnlatiiui. Lihi-rty county has 

 been devoted almost wholly to stock rai.siug 

 and non-irrigated farminir. but in recent 

 months larse SJis flows have lieeii foiuid 

 and the indiciitions are ccmsidered promis- 

 in.c; for the brinjiin.i: in of commercial oil 

 wells. Pipinu of jjas from the Liberty 

 county field for hou.sehold and industrial 

 ust's in Great Falls is projected. 



It lies in north central Montana, about 



20 miles wide east and west, and .>o miles 



lona: nordi and south, reaching: to the 



^ ^^ "^ t-"'lf'» » International I)oundary line. Mo.st of its 



'■HHMlK''JB^ surface consists of rollinir prairie and l>ench 



land.><. except in the northwestern (piarter, 

 where the Sweet Grass hills lie. The 

 Marias River flows easterly through the 

 southern part of the county, and the only 

 other stream of consequence is Cottonwood Creek, which rises in the Sweet 

 Grass hills and flows in a southerly direction until it empties into the Marias. 



Thirty and forty years ago the region \\as all public ran.ge and a stock 

 country. During the past fifteen years many .settlers have come in and the 

 range has disappeared. 



Save for certain areas of unglaciated soils in the western part of the county, 

 soil types are fairly uniform, ranging from sandy to clay and heavy clay loams. 

 All of them require special care in handling to prevent soil blowing. Special till- 

 age methods must l)e practiced to insure moisture conservation. The controlling 

 factor of crop production is moisture The one-crop sytsem of farming pravails 

 and wheat is the princi])iil crop. The most successful fanners are those who 

 handle lar.ge acreages, 200 to .')00 acres of crop each year, with a minimum of 

 hired labor through the use of large team one-inan outfits, and who. in addition, 

 I'aise their livestock feed and family living. Sheep growing is the most im- 

 portant phase of the livestock industry. 



^Mining operations on a small scale have intermittently l>een carried on in 



the Sweet Grass hills and small quantities of gold, silver, lead and copper have 



been recovered. Coal and marl>le also are found in the county. 



^luoh The most notable mineral development was the discovery in 



Natural Gas l!>2o of natural gas in large iiuantities. Considerable drilling 



for oil is being done. 



The main line of the Great Northern crosses the county east and west and 



is paralleled by the Roo.-evelt highway. There is a direct highway from the south 



betv.een Chester and Fort Benton. 



