Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-07
THE NEW STasTES.
IRRIGATION AND ITS WONDERS ILLUS
TRATED IN MONTANA.
The Desert of the Missoula Country Made
to Blossom as the Rose
Water Rights.

gives the following interesting sketch OF
the results of irrigation in Montana:
"Wait till you get to Missoula," people
have been saying. ''Wait till you get to
Missoula, aid then you will see what can
be done by irrigation N Montana" This
is what was said at Billings, at Livingston,
at Helena, and at half dozen places.
There is a canal forty-nine miles long in
the Yellowstone Valley, terminating at
Billings. 1t was built by company, at
the head of which is the Northern Pacific
capitalist who gave his name to the town.
1t represents an investment of perhaps
Sl25,000. The company acquired the
Government land reclaimed by the ditch
under the desert land law, and then bought
the Northern Pacifc's alternate sections
1t thus came into possession of large
body of land, twenty or twenty-five miles
long by three or four wide. This land it
has offered for sale, with water for irriga-
ton guaranteed, at a specified annual
rental. But there is a hitch about the
speculation. Not one-tifth of the land is
under cultivation, and the most of the
water is running to waste.
Some of the Billings people think the
fault is in the prices the company charges.
The land, arid as so much sand or gravel
! without water has been held at $40 an
acre. Perhaps it could be bought for a
little less. Then, for the water, the COM
pany asks s. an acre annually Those
who have invested at these prices have
not had uniform success in crop raising.
As you ride along the Yellowstone valley
you will see one farmer putting up hay,
! which will 90 two and oue-half tons to the
acre. Oats, which will yield sixty to
eighty bushels, are just turning brown
| The wheat, best of all grown crops under
irrigation, is ripening with full plump
| heads. These things you will see on one
farm. Alongside, in other fields, the grass
crop is Irregular and scarcely more than
ankle high. The grain is spindling, as if
drought stricken. Yet both ranches have
bitches and the fields have been irrigated.
Town people, who usually know more
about the farmers business than he does
himself, say that improper irrigation is
almost as bad as no irrigation. They say
that farming is one thing and irrigation
| farming is another. They claim that a
man may be successful and experienced
farmer back in the States" but that when
he comes here and irrigates he must put
aside his preconceived ideas and learn how
to do it from the beginning There is
force in this.
TOTAL FAILURE OF CROPS.
Western Dakota, Montana and Eastern
Washington must be irrigated Their
agricultural redemption depends upon it.
A trip through these new States, Just at
this time particularly, impresses that fact.
The old settlers say they have never
known such dry season. That does not
relieve the fact that the new settlers,
tempted by exceptionally favorable seasons,
have come in, staked all on this years
crops and have no returns There are
thousands of farmers who have absolutely
nothing to show for this seasons invest
ment and labor. They must get work
somewhere off their farms or their fam
lilies will suffer this winter 1t will be
great wonder if North Dokota is able to
prevent loud appeals for aid from some of
her unfortunate communities west of the
Red River Valley. Land which produced
eighteen to twenty bushels to the acre of
No. l hard wheat last year is not return
ing the seed this year. There are streaks
and spots west Of the one hundredth me-
ridian in the Dakotas which are all right
They were visited by timely showers.
There are other streaks and spots which
are all wrong.
The ride through Montana IS to-day a
ride through country where there is
nothing green except along the streams
and irrigating bitches. The grass on the
range is as dry and brown as in midwinter.
Dust is ankle deep. There has been no
rain for so long the people have forgotten
when the last fell. In Eastern Montana
the ranges are not quite SO short as farther
west, but the stockmen are arranging to
reduce their herds by marketing all that
can be made ready For two weeks a
cloud of smoke has covered this whole
western country. 1t comes from the fires
on the prairies and in the forest, made
tinder-like by the drought. Once started
they burn on and on. The sun throws no
shadow in this pervading haze, while the
moon IS q dull red object with scarcely
more illuminating power than a big ball
OF brick dust. The scenery is all changed.
People look in vain for landmarks. A
mountain range close at hand presents
only dim outline A little further away
1t is wholly invisible. As you ride through
the mountains of Montana you can see the
pine trees still smoldering where they lie
and giving out great volumes of smoke
! There is a condition in Montana and
Eastern Washington which relieves from
| its most distressing phase the situation of
! those who have tried to farm this year
without irrigation. This condition is the
demand for labor ia the two States named.
Mining, numbering and railroad building
are going on in spite of this unprecedented
drought.
FIRST EFFORTS AT IRRIGATION.
As long ago as 1860, which was very
early IN Montana history, Christopher P.
Higgins came through here from the Pa
cifc coast. He was freighting. He noted
the level benches at the junction of the
Bitterroot and Missoula rivers. The
mountain brooks tumbling down the can
yons and finding their way to the larger
streams did not escape his observant eyes.
Mr.. Higgins said to himself that when he
settled down in life here he would make
his home. Four years afterwards he came
and staked out a farm. There were no
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