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MONTANA 19U 



lands are linked with the beef that may be made, especially in the winter 

 season on the irrigated lands, why should not Montana be the greatest meat- 

 producing state in all the Union? That, indeed, would be a rare distinction. 

 The greatest wheat and flax producing state in the Union and the greatest 

 dairy and meat producing state! Nothing but the apathy of the people can 

 prevent such a consummation. But the intent of this paper is to deal more 

 particularly with the dry lands of the State. 



By the benchlands of i\Iontana is meant the nearly level or undulating 

 tablelands. These lie between the streams. The topographv of the coun- 

 try, east of the Rocky iNTountains, is very similar. Along the streams the 



An Unirrigated Wheat Field. 



valleys are relatively wide and level. The borders that line them are usually 

 rough and rugged. The railroads usually traverse the valleys; hence, the 

 imipression made upon the traveller is usually anything but favorable. The 

 benches lie beyond the hills and they extend away and across until the 

 bluffs are reached which border another stream. These are the best lands 

 of Montana. They are usually composed of a clay loam covered witli the 

 short grasses of the prairie and they are underlaid with clay. Usually it 

 takes considerable power to break them up. but when once broken they are 

 not difficult to till subsequently. These are the lands that are tilled on 

 what may be termed the dry-land plan. Of these, there are some areas 

 known as gumlbo land sand impregnated with alkali, the tillage of which has 



— There are more sunshiney days in Montana than in any other Northern state. 



