Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-04-17

square miles Suppose only netenth
of this area. or about 10 townships, could
support such a population, this would
give population Of a hundred thousand
people.
So much for the limit of arabic areas,
and it is not necessary for me to say any
thing about the productiveness of these
farms when once settled on and brought
under cultivation. Others have covered
this point. 1t is enough to say that for
yields per acre they cannot be beaten, If
equalled, in any part of the United
States There is no doubt at all about
that.
For comparison of the advantages &C.
cruing to this city and the surrounding
country from certain investments of
capital let us assume that the Boston
and Montana works can be credited
with bringing into Great Falls, directly
and indirectly, 5000 people, which is
probably very generous estimate. Sup
pose one-half their investment were
available for expenditure upon the de.
velopment of the irrigation system TAX
ing water from Sun river and reclaiming
the vast tract lying between that stream,
the Teton river. and the Missouri. If
this we're possible, and it certainly is
| pThCllCdDlt, DIS surveys duO 0slltlldLo5
have demonstrated, permanent popu-
ceedingly low estimate, could be brought
which would have more than 40 miles
from town and the nearest point
would be the town itself. Thirty thou,
sand agricultural population tributary to
town would do away with the present
great importing of farm products, would
give surplus for export, and home
market for the consumption of various
manufactured articles which are now
imported from the east but which could
be made at profit here if the popua-
ton was large enough to afford home
market. The home market being as
sured the increase in manufactured ar
ticles would continue and soon an export
trade in these lines would also grow up.
Great Falls needs this farming popu
lation tributary to it, and the conditions
in this locality are such that hundreds
OF farmers can obtain homes and the
water with which to irrigate their farms.
| While we all desire to see the payrolls
in our smelters and manufactures in
crease, and no idle men on our streets,
still, generally, this kind of a population
is very largely floating one, here today
and gone tomorrow. We need more
home owners, taxpayers, permanent res
idents. There is no class of citizens
better for community than the farm
ers; particularly if they own their farms
are proprietors, not renters.
Under favorable conditions, town
the size Great Falls now is, or, per-
haps, somewhat larger, can be built up
on agriculture in densely populated re-
gion if near good market and with
good transportation facilities. But it
cannot grow much larger than this. On
the other hand, large town cannot
possibly be built up without good,
well settled farming region in its imme-
diate vicinity. To continue to ship out
of our own vicinity all the money we
make for food to live on will keep us
poor.
The opportunities for an individual to
select tract of vacant land to take up
under the government land laws, irri-
gate and reclaim it himself, are very linn
tied in this vicinity. But there are sew
eral opportunities within 20 or,,30 miles of
Great Falls, where, by the cooperation
OF thirty forty, or more, farmers excel
lent land may be acquired from the gov
ernmcnt and an ample supply of water
! may DC conveyed upon IL.
Cooperation in irrigation has been
thoroughly proven to be mere advantage
Gus to the farmer in u ma jority OF cases
than private construction and operation.
10 this manner larger system can be
put in, usually in a better location, the
first cost is smaller, the water supply
better, the maintenance expense is
smaller, the amount of land reclaimed
| b1,. -, or -
a greater carrying capacity of large
ditch with less evaporation and seepage,
and one Of the most important features
is that neighbors are nearer, schools,
church privileges, stores, postoflice, etc,
are practicable, creameries, canneries for
vegetables, and potato starch factories,
and similar means OF converting farm
products into more merchantable and
profitable forms can be established, and
the great objection of loneliness upon the
farm, so prevalent in America, is done
| away with.
The streams in this state have been
measured in many localities, and the re-
suits in the case of the Missouri river
and the application of the census etatis
tics may we'll be mentioned. Before the
value of the water flowing in the rivers
can be discussed it is necessary to make
some assumption regarding the duty of
water in Montana; that is, the relation
between the quantity of flowing water
used by the irrjgator and the area of the
land upon which he employs it. Water
duty in this state is very low; that is, far
greater quantities are used than are
necessary. From the examination of the
data at hand it is safe to assume a duty
of 100 acres per cubic foot per second
At Craig the mean flow of the Missouri
is 4,7l5 second, feet, which at 100 acres
per second-foot would irrigate ALL 500
acres.
| According to the statement of farm
ers, the average first cost of water
throughout the state is S4.G3, and the
value now placed upon this water is
s15.04 per acre. The difference between
these, sl0.4l, may fairly be assumed as
the value of the flowing water to the
farmer in excess of the COST in other
words, the water sufficient to irrigate
one acre is worth $l0.41 beyond the
original cost of bringing it onto the