214 National Geographic Magazine. 
AGRICULTURAL AND MiInERAL RESOURCES. 
It will be advisable now to take a hasty glance at the State of 
Montana, and see what are her agricultural capabilities and what 
need exists for irrigation as a factor in their development. 
According to the report of the State Auditor for 1888 there 
were in that year 143,700 horses and mules valued at $4,900,000 ; 
488,500 cattle valued at $9,060,000 ; 1,153,000 sheep valued at 
$2,165,000 ; 3,741,000 acres of improved lands, valued inclusive 
of improvements at $12,300,000 ; 55,000 town lots valued with 
improvements at $14,940,000 ; and including all kinds of personal 
and real property a total assessment for the State of $67,500,000. 
There were raised in the State during the same year 770,000 
bushels of wheat on 26,000 acres, an average yield of about 30 
bushels per acre ; 3,000,000 bushels of oats on 85,000 acres, an 
average yield of over 35 bushels per acre ; 843,000 bushels of 
potatoes on 3700 acres, or 230 bushels per acre ; and 6,000,000 
Ibs. of all other vegetables on 450 acres ; 235,000 tons of hay 
were cut, and 7,500 bushels of apples and other fruits were 
raised, while 4,500,000 lbs. of wool were sheared. 
The gross receipt of the quartz mills were $20,300,000, the 
value of the product of the reduction furnaces was $15,900,000 in 
bullion, and the coal mines produced-500,000 bushels of coal. 
The wool product for the present year, 1889, exceeded in 
amount that of any other State west of the Missouri River, and 
its quality was such that it brought a higher price per pound than 
that of any other western State, the price paid in California 
ranging from 15 to 17 cents per pound against 20 to 23 cents 
paid in Montana. 
The accompanying table will show the relative value of the 
production of precious metals in the three leading States during 
1887, from which it will be seen that Montana led Colorado by 
$4,200,000, and California by $15,580,000. 
1887. Montana. Colorado. California. 
Silver _._.- $15,500,000 $15,000,000 $1,500,000 
Goldene an 5,230,000 4,000,000 13,000,000 
Copper ..-. 8,970,000 400,000 180,000 
Lead __---- 630,000 6,730,000 70,000 
Motalsy2222= $30,330,000 $26,130,000 $14,'750,000 
Since 1887 Montana has been rapidly gaining in its lead, espe- 
cially in the production of copper, and it now leads not only in 
