The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-09-22

Association of Congregational Mints.
tors Wednesday evening:
Ara.
Montana has long been known as
the state With most water in It's rivers
and least on its land: most BOWS on
it, ranges and least home produced
milk on It's tables; where n can SO
farthest and See least.
Montana Is the third largest state
III the Union, having an e Of 81
798, 400 acres, being equal in size to all
the New England states, with New
York and Pennsylvania thrown in. It's
rivers discharge sufficient water to If
rigate upwards Of 100000 acres OF
land.
Mining and Grazing.
Montana has within It's boundaries
the largest mining camp in the world,
Butte having thus been celebrated for
q long period. It's grazing has com
bined with It's mining interests to
bring 1t prominently to the front as
one OF the productive states Of the
Union.
Agriculture.
Evolution Is rapidly bringing q
change and however great the mining
and grazing interests have been, they
are already second to agriculture, and
agriculture, In turn, in Montana, is in
Its very infancy.
Farm Products.
The annual products OF American
farms amount to $6.537, 100000. per
ear; and in this connection it should
be borne in mind that the average
total farm products throughout the
United States has a value Of only
$11.74 per acre per annum
The total expectations from America
amount to $1,57S,0 900, 900 per year, Of
which So per cent, or $919, 100000, is
farm products.
America has already become known
throughout the world as a producer Of
subsistence supplies, which is amply
borne out by the foregoing statistics,
notwithstanding which, Montana is yet
importing farm products q total aver
age annually, Of over seven million
dollars.
The contrast is one Of the best evi.
dences OF Montana's future in agricul.
ture, for Montana not only can, but
will in the near future, produce not
only what it consumes, but MANIFOLD
more
Reclamation Act.
At the time of the passage by the
tion act, President Roosevelt declared
il to be one Of the most important
steps accomplished during his admins.
tration. It's object was the creation
Of homes and the development OF
agriculture.
Population.
The natural increase in population
Of the United States is now one mil.
lion per annum; the influx of emf.
grants to the United States is also ap.
proximately n million per mum.
Development.
Montana is just beginning to receive
her quota Of the people from the other
portions Of the United States who have
learned of the opportunities in Mon.
tana, and Montana spells opportunity
to every one who comes within its
boundaries, and primarily along agri.
cultural lines, and necessarily irrigated
lands.
Little drops of water" added to
sslittle grains Of sand is already max.
ing q mighty difference in the value
Of Montana's land.
Irrigation Projects.
There are already under construc;
ton by the United States reclamation
service in the state of Montana alone,
i've irrigation projects; two Of which
are already delivering water to land
and two more will be in the spring
GE4t 7EE9NW rtRZEw-6AGH LNTE -
Of 1903; the irrigation works already
compelled OF rapidly completing viii
cover 160, 900 acres Of land; the works
projected for construction as soon as
practicable-portions OF which works
have already been constructed-such
as diverting dams, storage reservoirs
main canals, will. when completed
cover an additional area Of 65,O0(
acres; surveys are being carried or
at this time for irrigation works, fol
which the first funds for construc
ton have already been allotted. which
will, when completed, irrigate an addi
tional 225,0oO acres; surveys have
already been made and are now be
ing made OF projects for which funds
are likely to be available, to cover
an area Of $4,000 acres: making q
grand total of approximately 100000
acres of land.
Reclamation Project Expenditures.
Including the work being carried on
in Wyoming, and in North Dakota, just
east OF the Montana state line, the
irrigation construction operations O
the reclamation service have for sew