The Western news. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1890-1977, 1907-07-31
SPLENDID FUTURE AWAITS
MONTANA
Former Senator Paris Gibson Tells
of the Great Possibilities From
Irrigation--rlore Farm Land
than Iowa and Illinois.

ditions. This is especially foreshad-
owed by the farmers of Colorado,
where already hundreds of steam
plows are turning over soil that,
few years ago, but few persons be-
lieved would ever be disturbed by the
plow.
"Now l submit that under the appli-
cation of intelligent farming, the rich
prairies and highlands of Montana
will soon be converted into pros
porous farms on which not only alfalfa
and small grains will be produced, but
many of the fruits of northern lat
itude. If all Montana's agricultural
lands could be irrigated, we would
have a veritable paradise for the farm
er and gardener, and our state could
easily support population of 30,O00,-
900 as Japan with the same number
of square miles) can support her 49,
OOO, 900 people.
Crops Average High.
"But we must meet the situation as
we find it today and adapt the most
of our agricultural methods to dry
land conditions. During the past 20
years have annually cultivated from
60 to 300 acres Of land in Cascade
county, depending wholly on the nat
ural moisture, and from my indifferent
method of farming have learned that
the possibilities of farming on the
rich, mellow lands of Northern Mon
tana are almost without limit. Dur
ing this time / have never failed to
grow on summer fallowed land in the
dryest years we have had in all this
time a crop of wheat considerably
larger than the average wheat crop of
that I did not sooner ascertain by
practical tests the advantages that
can be derived from growing alfalfa
here without irrigation, for, while this
wonderful plant possesses a value un-
equaled for forage purposes, thus
opening the broadest field for the
dairy interests here, it will, in my
opinion, through it's fertilizing pro-
perties, place the agriculture of Mon
tana on a more profitable and endur-
ing basis than it could otherwise occupy.
Cannot Form Estimates.
"If a map showing the altitude and
the rainfall OF different parts of Mon
tana could be prepared, it would re-
move much of the prejudice that now
exists as to farming here without irri-
cation. The government map, giving
the rainfall in some % counties of the
Columbia basin, shows variation of
from $50 inches to 29.68 inches, the
rainfall being much less than IA inches
in II widely separated localities. The
farmer who lives near Pasco, where
the rainfall is less than six inches and
who irrigates his land, would, without
a knowledge of other localities, con.
slider dry farming an absurdity any
where in the Column bia basin. Ard so
in this great state, the farmer in
Beaverhead or Deer Lodge counties
cannot, from his experience there
form a correct estimate of what the
farmer can do in another part of the
state.
Earning without an irrigating
ditch in Montana would have beer
much farther advanced but for tn,
determined efforts OF many persons t
, decry it, thus turning immigration t
OF her parts of the far west. Thes
, persons. for a time, have also don
much to retard an advance in lar,
|, values, and especially the value o
productive but non-irrigated farms
= But the tide of western immigration i
) ceaseless and, III spite of opposition
: where the hand of w .lcDtne should b,
given, it will cover Montana as it ha
: covered Minnesota, the DaEotas. Kan
, sas and Nebr"s<a. Millions Of people
5 many of whonie are now homeless
r viii surely occupy the rich lands {
the semi-arid west if the policy OF pre-
serving the public domain for actua
settlers, advocated by Jackson, Ber
ton and Cleveland and so wisely an
intel. igently adhered to by Roosevelt
shall prevail.