The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-24
new SETTLERS
ARE FARMERS
STATE RECEIVING MORE ADvER.
Using THAN EVER BEFORE.
SEEKING BENCH LANDS.
Secretary Decker Of Chamber Of Com.
merce Says Homeseekers Are Men
Accustomed to Farming Under Sim.
liar Conditions.

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people have only small concep-
ton of what is going or all around us
in the way Of settlement and develop
ment," said Secretary Decker of the
chamber Of commerce yesterday.
Since the milwaukee, branched out
into Montana this state has received
more advertising than ever before,
and among a class Of people whom 1t
is desirable to reach, farmers, real
homeseekers and homemakers. A ma
jority OF those coming in are from
the Dakotas and others of the nearby
states, men who are accustomed to
farming under climatic and other
conditions similar to those obtaining
here.
"In marked distinction to the set
tiers Of earlier years is the demand Of
the newcomers for nonirrigated
lands. They are not looking for farms
under the ditch, but want bench land,
where crops may be grown without
irrigation. And right here let me
remark that many people have an err
roneous conception Of facts as they
actually exist in reference to moist
ure and precipitation. About every
one whom you meet has something to
say concerning the great amount of
rain that fell last year. A look at
the government statistics will speed
lily disabuse the mind OF the belief
that last year was an exceedingly
wet one.
Not Such a We Season.
According TO the archaeological
report of the section director for Mon.
tana, r. Frank Young. the normal
precipitation for Billings is 1856
inches. Last year the total precipi-
tation was 14.72, or about a sixteenth
of an inch above normal. Not such
a great amount, vas it? The people
who are coming now know about
what the average annual amount Of
moisture is, and they are not afraid
to buy land and take up homesteads
and become farmers. They object to
the term 'dry-land' farming. They
call 1t simply farming without any
adjectivial concentrations. The pre-.
cipitation in the vicinity of Broad.
view is slightly greater than down
here in the valley. There the normal
is 1924. Last year, according to the
record kept by DR.. sudduth, 1t was a
little below normal. 4
"The amount Of moisture in Yellow.
stone county is ample for all crop.
raising purposes, the only thing re.
quired being Intelligent cultivation
and tillage. There are plenty Of 10.
calities where the normal precipita.
ton is considerably below 10 inches
and yet good crops are raised there
and people are satisfied. But 1t Is
useless to think of growing anything
from the soil without some labor.
Actual TilIers Of Soil.
The new settlers are not Of the
class who farm on horseback, but are
actual tillers of the soil, who are
accustomed to work for whatever
they produce. The prospects here
please them and they are looking to
the future with every confidence Of
success.
MANY to whom 1 have spoken de
clare that the conditions here at pres
ent are far more favorable to the set
tier than they were in either Of the
Dakotas 20 or % years ago, and vel
the Dakotas today, especially South
Dakota, are considered as among the
richest and most productive states II
the union. With a like lot Of people
taking up land in Montana no good
reason can be given why in the
course Of a few years Montana can
not rank among the rich agriculture.
states Of the northwest.
To Settle Permanently.
"But to get back to the origina
text: More people are coming in nov
with a view to settling permanent,
4han at any time since the attention
of the homeseeker was drawn in thi.
direction. 1t is only necessary tt
take a trip toward the Musselshel
and intervening section to see this
Just ask some Of those who have
been there recently to tell you of tht
changes that have been wrought II
the last six months, and the begin
ming only has been made"
NATIONAL PARK FOR MONTANA