The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-03
FIELD
IN MONTANA
CENSUS BUREAU SEEKS kNowL
EDGE REGARDING IRRIGATION
WANTS TO KNOW RESULTS
An Official Explains Character Of the
Work His Department
Is Doing.

1t is very evident that Montana is
considered at Washington ais one OF
the best fields for irrigation work by
the general government. The amount
OF attention paid the state by the vari.
GUS bureaus and departments either
directly CT remotely connected with
the reclamation of the arid regions
is proof of this. AS previously pub.
lished in The Gazette, j. C.
Blanchard, chief of the irrigation sec
ton of the n bureau, is now in
the state gathering statistics in re-
gard to the number of irigating
bitches, amount of water they supply,
the acres Of land irrigated and the
crops raised thereon. Much has been
learned by him concerning the agri-
cultural possibilities of the state and
all the information he has obtained
will be embodied in his report to
the bureau.
In an interview granted the Helena
Herald he said:
"The investigation of irrigation in
the United States by the census Office
does not in any way duplicate the
work of the department Ct agriculture
or that of the geological survey, but
is rather a complement of both. The
actual results of irrigation. are dis
cussed by the census office. Its work
has nothing to do with the scientific
treatment of soils, the practical appli-
cation of water, or the measurement
age, but relates to cost and length
of bitches and acreage and nature OF.
irrigated crops.
Ser a better understanding of the
conditions of irrigation in Montana
the census Office and particularly the
agricultural division under Chief
Statistician L.. G.. Powers, is conduct
ing a field Investigation Of the prin-
cipal irrigated valleys of the state.
The compilation of these statistics
and the data are for the crop year Of
1902.
Montana with it's vast area, varied
topography and diversified climatic
conditions presents at once an inter-
esting and difficult field for inyestiga-
ton. During a cycle of wet years
the necessity for irrigation is not so
imperative as in other states farther
south. The lew elevation of the table
lands and of the cultivated areas of
the state generally make agriculture
less dependent upon irrigation than in
other states, and the precipitation is
usually larger in the state. 4
agricultural development in Mon
tana until very recently was merely
an adjunct to stock raising, but In
the census year the tilling of the soil
had so increased that the value of the
farms and the products of the soil
placed farming proper in the lead.
Some idea of the increase in farm
wealth may be obtained from the cen.
sus reports. In 1870 the live stock on
Montana farms was valued at $1,S18,-
SOB, and the farm lands including
buildings and implements were worth
$729,193 or only 40 per cent of the
value of live stock. This did not in
clude value of stock on the public
domain. Had this been included it
is possible that the value of live stock
in Montana was three times greater
than that Of farms and buildings.
while the live stock interest had
a value in 1900 nearly 40 times great
er than in 1870 the number and value
of farms had increased so enormously
that in 1900 they were worth 6 2,026,-
900, while the live stock had a value
Of $52,161,8S3, or 15.9 per cent less.
The farmers in Montana do not need
to be told that this tremendous in
crease in agriculture is due to the
successful application of irrigation.
1T requires no great gift of
prophesy to predict for Montana a
steady and substantial development
along the line of agriculture nor is
the time SO far distant when the val
lie of farms and products will out
weigh those of the mines. The state
is peculiarly fortunate in having larg-
er irrigable areas and constant and
ample water supply. 1t offers q field
for many large and substantial irriga-
ton works for the government and
with its vast area of public domain
is certain to reap immense benefit
from the IRRIGATION hill %recentlY paSS-l