The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-10
Director s N. Emery's Interesting
Lecture Before the Unity Club
Last Night
Mistaken zsal That Has Systemat.
ioaliy Discouraged Immigra-
ton 20 Montana
Instructive Statistics That Prove BEYOND
Doubt the Fertility OF the soii-Must
Encourage the Farmers.

experimsntal station at BoEeman. on she
subject Agriculture In Montana. MT
Emery IL we'll qualified. from his expert
enoe, vide acquaintance among the farm
era Of the state aud their methods. and bis
study OF the subject from practical as
we'll as scientific standpoint % handle this
important question in an instructive and
int esting manner. After few we'll eho-
sen introductory remarks by she president
of the olub. Mr.. r.. :. Bedford, Director
Emery SPOKE in part as follows;
THE year Just ended seems 90 have been
doublg fraught with disaster; an unusually
severe winter we'll nigh decimated whole
herps. whose range was along the northern
boundary; while adverse legislation. exc
ented and anticipated, have dealt fatal
blows for the time being, TO two leading
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and wool. These coming
In sharp, quick secession afford good and
sufficient reason 20 inquire, what OF she
future and to give full scope 20 earnest
thought By all who have MontanH'i vel
fare a. heart"
The speaker traced the beginnings OF
agriculture in Montana 30 She production
CT vegetables for the placer miner and to
that OF oats for the horses which did the
freighting In the days Of Ca and showed
how slow and unsatisfactory the develop
ment Of this Industry had bsen up TO recent
ysare. I'VE have been CONTEMPLATING our
selves that the export Of cattle for the year
inst closed amounted TO nearly Ss.O0O,Oo0,
and that while Montana enjoys the proud
distinction Of being the third largest state
in the union, with an area OF 10000 square
miles. vet the little priEcinalitV Of Den
mark barely pin dot on the map, having
less than one acre TO our ten, has
an annual trade with England alone
in daily PRODUCTS OF SzAOuou9O-
Shall we allow the present half
hearted interest in agriculture 20 continue.
or shall new and mo profitable methodsbe
pursued? While states 70 the east OF rs
have expended hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars TO induce immigration, II IL a
lamentGble fact that in this state IL has
been automatically discouraged. Ihti
state OF affairs 10 largely due 20 ths honest
but mistaken zeal OF the old tuner" In be
half of mining and cattle raising; 20 the
man who came 20 the territory back IN the
sixties; who Was wall acquainted with Viz
cfnia CITY, Banhaok. Last Chance, Confed-
crate euloh and Col. Sander; who could $50
no merit in the Flooding but sure road to
moderate wealth in farming. The stranger
who came to Montana to open a modest
farm. to become a law abiding and tax
paving Cihlkaus Lhs ueen hoo oAhcA ~ W.
welcome, uninvited gueat
Mr.. Emery insisted that this policT was
ruinous and that the best settlers we can
invite 30 our state are those coming from
eastern states With Sufficient capital 30 open
up their own enterprises and with intolli-
sence 20 direct their efforts. By showing
them that our soil is better than theifs and
the oppo ftunities far better TO gain com
patenoe We can easily secure this, the most
desirable addition to our present popula-
ton. Care should be taken 20 select only
those men for the work Of soliciting i'm mi
grafton Who would tell the exact truth
about our county. else some OF the almost
incredible statemsats regarding our cli-
mate and resources would be discrediteo.
For instance. It IL difficult 10 make tbs
average eastern man believe that during
4hs winter Of 1928. confessedlY the most
severe in seventeen years, the average tenn
peraturs OF Montana was higher than that
of northern Florida, after dsductlnR the
tWo weeks of extreme cold weather.
INDUCING in q few interesting statistics
compiled from the last United states cen
aus. Directof Emery stated that the average
number of farms In twenty-five leading
states 10 81 07S. while Montana has only
64ll; leas than fOur-tsnths Of one per cent
Of she area Of this state 10 nov titled, or. In
other words. one acre in $50 Is farmed-
Numerous valleys all over the state are
waiting for the magic wand Of the engineer
20 transform these barren wastes into
'sweet feds aTravsd IN living green y
Saoh 10 the great Judith basin, a region OF
incomparsbls fertility, where lO,OOJ square
miles await the action OF the government
or powerful irrigation corporations. The
head waters Of the Marias aud the Milk
rivers will in time be diverted, and We can
claim from the northwest territories the vol
umo Of water that now goes 10 the sea
via Lake Winnipeg, from -. Mary's axes
through 81. Mnry's rive. Scientists hav,
hat IA
OF the Missouri river never leaves Monthna
except by underground streams aud thRi
the vast artesian system OF the DakOtn'
owes its existence 90 this hidden source OF
supply. Charity, the speaker said, beg ns
81 home, aud these underground streams
can be tapped and these apparently deser
plains viii be rendered fertile and made q
blossom like the rose
Mr. Emery then gave some astOuish ~
facts regarding the average yield Of Mon
tana cereals Ia 1882 an exceptionally dry
season, IN which the usual spring rain fal
Was lacking. bench lands plowed 20
depth OF twelve inches produced whea
crops averaging twenti -nlns bushels 10 th'
acre. Ia 1891 IN Montana less than on
acre TO tse Thousand WAS devoted 20 whea
culture. the usual acreage IA o.her stat
being twenty fold 10 great; aud OF oats
less than one acre 20 the thousand. al
usual acreage IN otter states being hitsei
times as great.
The average wheat yield pef ace in Mon
tanAiE I76 lushe s. While the average 70
the United ttatss is only ~ bushels. tn
nguiss for oats are 3i,2 as cons ared vii
$50 To- the United states: cora. %.
against PAL; barley. 27.2 TO 2l.7; potatoes
1U7 % TO 7G.2. In the yenr 1888 tho aVofHG
IotAto crop for Montana was ~, bushels
OF the residents OF Montana 30 per cen
are engaged in IA ming b45 per cent les
than the average In other states, and q
these 94.7 per cent own and are farmin
their own lands The TTice % land !
Montana averages S7.Yl Per acre. o. o..
per cent less than the average ia otht
states and this Is OF vital importance B
securing immigration. 49, lHnds can be o.
cured here at lower valuation shan els'
where.
lis Of interest % note that tillaRe LAND
IN Montana constitute 3A3 per cont Of 81
entire area. which 10 only nine per cent lei
than the average tillsga Hren Of 9th
states; farther. that SIS per cent Of 81
states area 10 grazing land, constltuiiu
together almost tWo-thiris OF the sta
adapted to the uses Of the farmer and siot
grower.
In order 10 secure intelligent and relieb
data regarding tue Gallatin valley Weld
cards OF inquiry we're seat 90 ever farm
IN the VALLEY IN November Of the paatyea
1hs returns show the following averages
crops: Potatoes. PSI bushels Ier acf
whsat 3zh bushels per scrs. oats
bushels yer acre. Aud Jet tbs has be.
HHEszE 49, - - .ILIlsl.