Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-09-16

Inc kItut ~ ''''"'' W
vet hut little exploited or developed
No sicn progress has been made as IN
the sister southwest. yet the pos
abilities are probably greater. And
IN all the large scope of the govern
ment irrigation projects now In hand,
no states offer finer opportunities
than Montana, Washington and Ore
gou. Montana's great agricultural
development IL assured for u has the
land and II has the water.
There are three important factors
IN the future Of the Treasure State
which are not possessed In lur9er
measure by any other section First
there are wide areas OF arid or semi
mid lands which under irrigailoa WI
become productive: sccona, an nj
most unlimited supply OF available
water sufficient, according To the
estimates Of experts, to reclaim ten
million acres In the state; and third,
: home market for products. This In
fact may be said OF all four Of the
far northwestern states. Montana,
Idaho. Oregon and Washington.
This Is certainly a winning COM
bination. or 1880 square miles Of
land within the boundaries Of Mon.
tana but Z fraction has been brought
under cultivation. Extensive areas
are available for grazing, and the
cattle and sheep industries Of the
state already rank among the first In
the country. Yet a large acreage ran
be reclaimed without interfering with
these industries. In fact. irrigation
will prove a benefit to them.
stockmen Favor irrigation.
Stockmen, who are often popularity
supposed 10 be opposed 10 any change
from old time conditions, are generally
In favor Of the largest possible irri-
cation Of the arid and semiarid lands.
They are coming to an appreciation OF
the benefits Of a large and cheap sup
ply Of winter feed. and to see that
with smaller farms cultivated. and
finished" cattle shipped direct TO
market. their profits would be In.
creased and the percentage Of losses
from winter starvation and freezing
largely reduced.
The mining population Of both Mon
tana and Idaho constitutes mn ex.
cellent market for products, 1t IL
estimated that ut least $4,000. 900 an
nuaily 90 out OF Montana for veget-
ables. fruit. dairy. poultry and pork
products and but a little less for
Idaho. all Of which can be produced
within the states.
There are In Montana alone IA the
result Of private enterprise, nearly n
million acres Of reclaimed land. and
the fortunate owners OF which, have
nothing 10 complain Of. They are
prosperous to a degree.
Areas Not Requiring irrigation.
II must not appear from this that
all the lands OF the northwest are
entirely arid. There are many thous-
ands Of acres In different sections OF
Montana that grow good crops without
irrigation. Valley and foot-hiIl and
bench lands In Fergus county, favor.
ably located. for instance. grow the
Incredible Yield Of forty-five bushels
of wheat per acre. without irrigation.
Heavy crops Of grain and vegetables
are grown In the vicinity OF Great
Falls by the dry farming system. In
the rlathead country. In the north
western corner Of the state. an fine
fruit AZ a be found In the country
10 grown, with large crops Of grain,
vegetables and hay. In the Bitter
Root valley fine fruit and vegetables
are grown. and In the Gailatin valley
superb wheat and barley are produced,
with large crops Of hay and alfalfa.
The latter yields three crops 4 year
aggregating five tons to the acre. sell.
Ing IN the stack at from $3.50 to $3.50
per ton.
4 Million Acres For irrigation.
The present projects under consid.
esation by the federal government
look to the reclamation Of over a mil.
lion acres Of land In Montana alone.
These comprise six large enterprises,
and the preliminary work has been
commenced on all Of them. The Mad
ison river project, no called. will
divert the waters of the Madison river
TO reclaim at least 100000 acres OF
land IN the Gallatin. Missouri. and
Prickley Pear valleys. including a
strip 1t least n hundred miles long
from the head waters Of the Missouri
to and including the Pricklcy Pear
valley. IN which In located Helena, the
capital u the state
'fhe other projects under way are