U MONTANA 19U 



acres \vith a production of over 60.000.000 bushels, which is more than twice 

 the production of the entire nation ior last year. 



Were it not for the fact that we of ]\lontana know that this is but the 

 beginning-, the story of this State's development during the 

 Showing past ten years would of itself seem marvelous. In the period 



the Wonder- from 1902 to 1912, Montana increased its wdieat acreage from 

 ful Grow^th 90,583 to 803,000 acres, the production being 2,355,158 bushels 

 in Culti- in 1902 as against 10,346.000 bushels in 1912; it increased its 



vated Acres, flax acreage from 12.500 in 1902 to 460,000 in 1912, with an 

 increase in production from 112,500 bushels to 5.520,000. In 

 the same period the total value of the eight principal farm crops of wheat, 

 corn, oats, barley, rye. potatoes, hay and flax increased from $9,217,290 to 

 $40,419,000, while in 1912 the fruit-raising industry reached a productive ca- 

 pacity of almost $2,000,000. and Alontana farmers sold $1,500,000 worth of 

 sugar beets. 



A faint idea of the vast extent and wonderful range of Montana's 

 industries may be had from a few figures showing the actual production 

 of this State during the past year. Farm and garden products of all kinds 

 yielded a return slightly in excess of S61. 000,000 according to the most 

 reliable figures available ; the mines of ^lontana yielded $64,955,287, of 

 which $51,106,914 was in copper, $7,829,950 was in silver, $3,625,235 was in 

 gold, $1,857,402 w!as in zinc and $335,103 was in lead this not including 

 $5,600,970, the value of the coal yield for 1912 ; cattle, sheep and w^ool yielded 

 growers a total approximiately $20,000,000, and the product of the lumber 

 mills amounted to $2,811,000; making a grand total of $154.367,257 — not a 

 bad showing in raw wealth for a state which in 1910 was given a population 



of 376,053. 



Fruit growing in ]^Iontana has recently attracted wide attention because 

 of the high prices commanded by fruit lands and the eno^rmous 

 Fertile profits made by growers. I'nplanted lands, suitable for fruit 



Fruit Lands growing in the inter-mountain regions of the west, are selling 

 Yield Big in many places at $500.00 or more per acre, while good 



Profits. orchards, already in bearing, can hardly be purchased at any 



price. This is not hard to understand, because growlers in 

 many instances have received m,ore than $1,000.00 per acre in net returns 

 for a single crop. 



But while these figures may look large here in Montana, they are looked 

 upon as a mere indication of what may yet be done. In other words, 

 Montana is preparing for a future beside which its past will indeed be dim. 

 In this preparation the State is being assisted not only by the individual 

 settlers who are coming by regiments to the conquest of a virgin soil, but 

 by the masters of great transportation lines, who, looking to the future 

 and seeing the great harvest which is to be, are doubling their energies 

 townard bringing the most remote valleys and bench lands into communica- 

 tion with the outside world. More railroad construction is now under way 



— Montana has a lot of intelligent farmers; it wants more. 



