St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-29
MONTANA IRRIGATION
Rosy View Of the Results Of
Agriculture in the Mount
ain State.
Forty Bushels Of Wheat and
Eighty Bushels Of Oats to
the Acre.
Two Tons Of Hay on an Acre
Said to Be a Common
Yield.
Testimony From a Section in
Which Irrigation Is a
Necessity.

HELENA, Mont, Aug. 2S.-When the
subject OF irrigatipg the arid lands OF
Montana is introduced the imagination
is apt to conjure up the picture of vast
stretch of sandy waste, its desolation
enhanced by a scrubby growth of sage
brush and its silence broken only by
the lonesome bark of the cayote or the
sOugh of the wind as it blows through
the Whitened skeletons of such animals
as had unwisely Ventured within its
fatal precincts. In Montana irrigation
is almost a necessity to seeded vegetable
production in any shape, but the situa-
lions are entirely different from the
general belief III the matter. The irri-
gable lands of the state are located in
valleys that are not plains; the soil is
not sand, but as black and as rich as
any in Illinois, without the slight
est appearance of being desert. In
stead of water being scarce it is more
abundant than almost any other section
can boast of, and in constant supply,
while the scheme of irrigation is one of
the simples, imaginable, and any farm
hand can in few days get the whole
subject within the range of successful
operation. Irrigation reduced to prac-
tical basis is, as employed in Montana,
an absolute assurance or bounteouS
crops. With the conditions of fertile
soil, reliable growth and harvest sea-
sons, with plenty of water to be used as
needed, every year will see a certain
fob &c fr1iIx mn in of UipI6
to the capacity OF the ground to pro-
duce. Added to this is the fact that in
Montana is a home market for all that is
raised at prices that would make an
Eastern farmer think that in some man.
ner he had been transported into the
lands of Ell Dorado.
Shenandoah Put to Shame.
Montana has twenty valleys which put
the Shenandoah to shame. There are
others as good as that of the Connecticut
river which Go not even receive men,
ton. There are level parks in the
mountains, any one large enough to
make a county, and hundreds of small
mountain streams tumble through
grassy lands of surprising beauty. The
spring season, contrary to the general
impression, opens early in Montana.
The lst of April finds land ready for
seeding, and thencefOrward the bright
sun is an euer ready encouragement to
growth, maturity, and successful
harvest. 1t only remains tor man TO
supply water in proper quantities. 1t is
scientific farming in a degree not
dreamed of by him who depends for sue
cess on the capricious clouds.
1t is faith in the results of irrigation
that has induced Eastern capitalists to
put their money in works OF the kind In
this state. Several large systems are in
full operation and others are in course
OF construction. About fifty miles north
of Helena, and in this Lewis and
Clarke) county, is one of the most eX-
tensiye in the West. Its source of sup
ply is the Dearborn river, which heads
! high up in the main range OF the Rocky
mountains. 1t runs through narrow
| rocky canon of the widest and rarest
beauty of scenery to the point or con-
fiuence with the Missouri river. Hav-
ing no valley of its own to irrigate, the
waters of the Dearborn would be wasted
were 1t not for the fortunate break in
one bank. which allowed the cOnstruc-
ton of an immense canal to carry the
water to several large valleys, which
would otherwise be deficient in sup
ply. The lands of Orchard, Sims, Flat,
and Dry creeks are equals of any in the
country, and their four valleys head
near a common point. To throw water
into all OF them about five miles of main
canal, twenty feet wide at the bottom,
thirty-eight feet at the top, and six feet
deep. with fall of three and one-tenth
feet to the mile, was built OH the mount
ain side. 1t defects the waters of the
Dearborn from their natural bed in a
steady flow toward the four valleys,
which lie to one side and on lower
level. The average fall of the Dearborn
is forty feet TO the mile, which gives a
rapid flow and consequent large carry
ing CAPACITY to the canal. The natural
beds of Orchard, Sims, Flat and
| Dry creeks are made to run full
at all seasons. when, without the
aid of the canal, they would be perfectly
| dry in summer, at the time when water
is most needed. The supplies for each
farm Tor ranch, as universally called in
| Montana) are derived from the creek
| beds by means of smaller bitches taken
out considerably above the point of use.
Here again the rapid fall of the creeks
| assures a large carrying capacity to the
| bitches, so that delivdry of water is
| easily made on the highest cultivated
lana. FROM the supply bitches the
water flows in plowed burrows to all
crops. The labor Of making these
lateral bitches is trifling, and few
days work with the hoe in the spring is
sufficient to keep them in good order.
What the Farmer Can Do.
With an absolutely reliable supply of
water turned to any part of his field at
any time by simply lifting a wooden
gate, the farmer can plant with an as
surance of results. He can make cal
| in 20 cpriOO Of how rOuah bc
will realize at given prices for his year. S
work just as reliably as he can in the
fall. He has a certainty that the sun
will shine TO sprout the seed and insure
| its steady growth. He knows he will
have no interruption by bad weather in
| harvest time, and can, if called away by
| other business, leave his grain or grass
unprotected in the field until it is con-
venient to haul or stack. He never once
looks anXiously at the sky to detect the
signs for wished-for cessation of rain,
nor does he pray that the clouds may
open to save his parched crops. There is
an utter elimination of doubt at to
whether Providence is favoring or affiict-
ing him, and it never occurs to him to
see whether the new moon is wet or
dry Nor has he any interest in the
success of the experiments now being
conducted for the artificial production
of rain storms by dynamite balloons.
With an ample supply of water it IS
expected in Montana, according to the
fertility of the soil and attention to
crops, to realize per acre from 800 to sec
bushels of Irish potatoes. 40 to 90 bu-
shells of wheat, so to 100 bushels of oats,
and to tons of hay. The prevailing
prices are one cent per pound for pota-
toes, though often going higher; cent
and half per pound for wheat, and
from one to two and a half cents pei
pound for oats. Hay rarely sells fol-
less than SIS per ton, and often reaches
$25. With such showing it would
seem that the farmer ought to make
money, and he does.
But the greater rewards of sheep, cat
tie and horse raising, with the compare
tive freedom from labor. exert a con
trolling fascination on the old settlers
while the mining industry is holding