The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-04-01
WEDNESDAY, APRIL /. 1908.
MONTANA AGRICULTURE.


conditions would exclude Montana
from the list of states in which farm
ing is q profitable pursuit, has receiv'
ed come severe jolts IN recent years.
The normal rainfall "a considered
insufficient for successful agriculture.
and the early settlers confined their
atoms to bottom lands that could
be irrigated at comparatively small
expense: but as these limited areas
became occupied the later arrivals
occurred lands that appeared to be less
~favorably located, and proceeded to
demonstr ate what could be done In
the after OF raising crops with or
without irrigation.
The result ofjthese efforts is seen in
every part OF the state. Most OF the
progress in Montsna's agricultural
development up to this time has been
due to irrig ration, lbut the adoption OF
modern scientiicImethods OF farming
promises to produce returns that
we're believed by the early settlers to
be impossible. The Montana soil has
responded to these methods to such q
cratifying extent that localities whose
grain crops were formerly insufficient
for local demands, are now shipping
their surplus1farm products to other
markets.
The development of Montana agri.
culture is indicated by various news
items that appear from time to time In
the publiclpress. New irrigation pro-
jects are MISREPRESENTATION 10 many
parts OF the state; steam plows that
break from twenty to thirty acres per
day are being used by some OF the
progressiveIMontan farmers; 9 beet
sugar factory is In operation in the
Yellowstone country, with q certainty
that similarIplants will be established
in the Milk river valley and at other
points in the state, which will en-
courage the guilty alton Of large areas
of land. In the Gallatin valley, the
farming community has become so
numerous that an electric railway is
being built through that section to
provide the farmers with necessary
transportation facilities. At various
points in the state VI find creameries
tina, are doing a profitable business,
and in other localities orchard pro.
ducts are being sent to market in
acknowledgements. Grain elevators
are becoming a feature Of the Mon
tana landscape, and feeding pens and
barns in which livestock is fattened in
winter for theispring market are being
recognized as profitable business pro.
positions.
These developments in Montana az.
riculture mean q larger population in
all the localities mentioned. This re.
cult is in evidence in eastern and
northeastern Montana, where the In.
lux Of new settlers has been most
marked the past!.two or three years.
In Yellowstone county alone. accord.
ing to the Billings newspapers, there
we're 667 homestead entries during the
past twelve months, and In the ad.
joining countiessthe demand for land
has been almost - good. There is
every indication that q still larger
number Of newesettlers will seek loca.
lions in Montana this season, and
that the tide of immigration will in
crease from year to year.
The progress made in Montana ag'
riculture during the past few years
has been a revelation to early day
residents. Their belief that farming
could not be prosecuted successfully
under Montana climatic condition,
has been demonstrated to be errone
Que, and they are prepared for still
greater results in the future. With
constantly increasing agriculture
population, and Il soil that respond
90 generously to proper methods Q
cultivation, Montana will become on
OF the most prosperous farming CON
munities in the United States.