The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-15
SPRING IS NOW At HAND
Lilac Bushes and Shrubs Already
in the Leaf.
FARMERS LOSING NO TIME
Thousands OF New Trees VIII Come
Into Bearing This Year Develop
ing the Fruit Industry-One
Source of Worry.

ing the Fruit In~dustry-One
Source of Worry.
Missoula, April 14.-Unless all of the
signs fan ana Tom McTague proves a
faise prophet, spring Is at hand. The
weather at present warrants the asser-
ton, and Mr.. McTague came over from
Deer Lodge this morning to give the
season his official sanction. lie says
that IL Is tim to go ahead and get
things In shape for the summer cam
paign. and wnen he says that. IL lis all
right to go ahead. Toms interest i'm
the matter Is prompted principally by a
desire TO see the horses get fit and
thus insure good racing from the start.
To nim the farms ana orchards are a
secondary consideration, however much
they interest the peopfe over here. Tom
hopes, 90, that warmer weather will
bring with IL an Increase in crime that
Will make business good at the peni-
Tertiary. The conditions that now pre-
vail In Western Montana certainly
make the outlook excellent. and, COM
bined with the assurance of the gentle
man from Deer Lodge, gives the far
bers encouragement To push "a good
thing along. The grass on the ranges
IL getting green. and the buds on the
trees are ready to burst. In city yards,
where the city cow has not trespassed.
Nv iiiaS uCisE Iii III vi uoS dIt
already in leaf. and the crocus and hy-
acinth are showing color. IL is spring
all right by all OF the signs and by the
epidemic of laziness that Is abroad i'm
the land.
Farmers are not losing any time. and
blowing and painting are i'm full swing
all through the valleys. The winter
wheat Is already up and green, and the
bright patches on bench land and val
1 lev attract attention and nlaasa he IVA
The fruit men are getting orchards into
good condition and the pruning knife
and the cultivator are busy all up the
Bitter Root. There are thousands of
new trees that will come into bearing
this season, and the present crop. IL
normal conditions prevail, Is away
ahead of anything that this section has
ever produced. The winter has been a
good one for the orchardists, and they
all look forward to n prosperous sum-
mer. The number OF trees In the val
ley orchards will be still further in
creased this summer, and already sew
eral thousand trees have been deliv-
cred In the valley for the new orchards
and for the additions to the older ones.
The scare that has been frightening
some of the fruit men for "A year or two
seems to have abated and the men
\ who are In the fruit growing business
are no longer alarmed lest the produc-
ton of applies In the valley become too
kItdt " Nv mar VI tnl6 toul'lgs
Now that this foolish notion has been
driven out of the minds that were wor-
ried over IL, the work of developing the
fruit industry OF the valley Will suffer
no further delay from that score.
There is one thing that is worrying
the farmers in the Bitter Root and the
business men all over this part of the
state. That Is the Indifference that
seems to prevail on the part of the
state land officers regarding the pro-
posed work of the arid land commission
in tho B,,teI Root. II Is stated here
that there has recently developed some
considerable opposition To the proposed
plan OF elinquishing some of the school
lands i'm the valley I'm order that there
might be no obstacle To the plans of the
arid land commission. What this oppo-
sition is and prompts IL is not
known. but there IL no little disappoint-
ment here on account of the delay in
the carrying out of the plans that II
was thought were all ready for putting
into effect. The fruit men. as well as
the grain ~raisers. are interested I'm this
matter. as the land on the bench that
Is under consideration by the arid LAM
people will be, when irrigated. some or
the finest fruit land In Western Mon
tana. 1t is to be hoped that there will
be no serious obstacle in the carrying
through of the proposition made by the
arid Ian commission. IL means much
to Western Montana. and ought To be
encouraged rather than retarded by the
state authorities.
The farmers and business men Of
Western Montana are deeply Interested
in the new local train service that is
suggested for the rad between the
Bitter Root and the markets of Ana
conda and Butte. This is a service for
which the people over here have prayed
for the past five years, and IL Is hoped
that T. viii. materialize this season. T''dt
IL will tend to improve the produce
business there is no doubt. The argu-
ments in favor of this train are So evil
den and have been presented so often
that they need not be repeated. This
much, however. may be said at this
time. The expense OF operating this
train will be considerable. Whether or
not the railway company Will make II
a permanent run depends upon the pat
ronage that is accorded IL. The man.
agement IL not unreasonable in the
matter. IL is not expected that the
train viii be a revenue producer from
its first trip. but IL Is expected that.
after IL has been demonstrated that the
company is in earnest In its desire TO
build up the business between the two
sections that will be thus connected.
the people will do all that they can to
keep IL going. With the Ravalli hotel
open at Hamilton. there ought to be a
lot of passenger business from Butte
and Anaconda during the warm
months. when this splendid hosiery will
furnish a pleasant retreat from the dust
of the cities. The dealers OF the cities
and the producers in the valleys ought
TO be able To furnish plenty of business
to the train. Already there are plans
forming for the daily shipment of but
ter. cream. milk and green stun from
the valleys TO the market towns.
Among the other signs OF spring. may
be noted the preparations of the placer
miners for their start into the hills. on
the corner of Front street and Higgins
avenue to-day a group composed of the
LaCasse boys. Ed. Wolf and others OF
the Cedar creek and California gulch
district. were discussing the outlook
and preparing for the campaign. IL
will not be long before they leave town
for the summer, to come back next fall