The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-03
DIRECTOR FORTIER WRITES
FORclBLY ON SUBJECT.
ON WHAT SUCCESS DEPENDS
Lays Down Principles and Rules That
Must Be Followed Ii Best Re-
suits Are Desired.

lDlrectOr FOrtler OF Montana Agrl-
cultural College, in Bozeman Chron-
icle.l
are wonderfully diversified. The rich
stores of precious minerals are only
one source of wealth. There are vast
deposits of coal and metal ores practi-
cally untouched, millions of acres COW
cred by forests and an undeveloped
power in the %torrential streams far in
excess OF the needs of the present
generation. Strange as it may appear,
public attention at the present time is
not particularly attracted to any of
these. The majority of our citizens
believe that the soil of valley, bench
and grazing lands will in time become
the chief source of wealth; that the
annual dividends derived from the soil
will be the largest, the safest and the
most enduring.
In the development of agriculture
there is n drawback. The amount Of
moisture is insufficient. The yearly
rainfall of Montana is less than one
half that of Iowa and to produce the
best results the deficiency must be
made up by human effort. The Mon
tana Farmer who wishes to obtain
the greatest possible yield must irri-
gate.
Thu Efforfe Of the DionAAre
Only ~thirty-eight years have passed
since the first furrow was turned in
the fertile soil of the Gallatin valley.
Last fall the farmers of Gallatin val
ley paid taxes on 100000 acres, of
which about one-fifth was irrigated
and produced enormous yields. To
provide water sufficient to cover 1OO,-
, 900 acres to a depth of from two to
four feet each summer season, the
streams have been diverted from their
natural beds and made to do service
on thousands of cultivated fields.
Similar progress mas been made in
other agricultural sections of the state
until at the present time about a
million acres are rendered highly pro-
ductive by means of irrigation. These
facts speak volumes for the energy,
perseverance and faith of the pio-
neers.
Their efforts were not confined to
digging bitches and retaining land.
They earnestly tried to establish by
custom and law safeguards for the
appropriation, diversion and use of
water in irrigation. The irrigation
laws of Montana were copied, for
the most part, after the mining laws
of California. Such basic principles
as priority of rights were early es-
t%ablished, and are likely to remain
forever the chief feature of our irri-
CATION code. In other respects the
pioneer state builders and law makers
were less fortunate. Mining and farm
ing differ and it is unwise to attempt
to apply the anne customs as regards
the use Of water to both industries.
This has been done in Montana.
In the preceding summary an effort
has beer made to outline the progress
that has been made in this state in
irrigation development. For the
wealth thus created, the farm homes
of Montana deserve the chief credit.
1t i'll we'll for all to veal in mind the
important fact that the foundation
of irrigated agriculture in this state
was laid without the aid of the nation
al government. 1t is likewise true
million acres of desert land unaided
is capable of further effort in the
same direction.
National Aid.
The reclamation of arid lands in
this state would have progressed in
a normal but slow manner were it
not for certain causes, the chief OF
which it might ue we'll to name:
1. In many of the older settled por-
tons of the west the streams that
could be easily diverted had been
utilized to irrigate valley lands, and
the difficulties to be overcome in re
claiming the remaining tracts were
often too great for the individual OF
ordinary corporation.
2. In sections where irrigation had
been practiced for a. long time. contro
versies wei water rights were increas
ing to an amazing extent, and the
profits arising from the irrigated
farm were being squandered in useless
litigation.
3. Four of the transcontinenta