Milford chronicle., 1908-06-19

1 tiV1ty, Wneu nuHulSuS VI
seekers from all parts Of the country
arrive to, take up their new homes.
The Sun River Valley, which IS
located a little west of the center
lof the State on the eastern slope OF
the Rocky Mountains and near the
city of Great Falls, was selected
several years ago by the Reclama-
| ton Service as a choice area for the
construction of stupendous irriga-
ton work. The work has progress
sed rapidly and on May 9TH two
hundred and fifty farms will be
thrown open to settlers on very lib
eral terms.
These farms will be Obtainable
under the homestead law, subject
to the charges of actual cost OF
water upon the number Of acres &C
tually supplied with water from the
system. This charge has been fixed
at $40 per acre, divided into not
| less than five nor more than ten an
nual payments. The sum of $3.50
will be due and payable at the time
of making entry. The second in
stalment will be payable at the
time of making entry. The second
| instalment will bepayable March I
1910, thus allowing early settlers
nearly two years before second pay
ment is due. In this period any in
dustrious settler can get his land IN
shape to own repayment OF the
charges.
An interesting and unique feature
in connection with the project is the
proposed establishment of model
rural villages every six miles. In
all there will be 20 of these, so that
no farm will be more than three
miles from a post Office and school.
All the crops which can be grown
in northern countries can be raised
here. It is probable that the prin-
cipal crops raised will be alfalfa,
sugar beets and potatoes. Usually
three cuttings of alfalfa are made
annually. Some have cut only two
crops, and others have cut four, but
the average is three, and the aver
age Weld about five tons per acre.
The present price varies from S.
to SI5 per ton in the stack, accord
ing to location and demand. 1t IS
not probable that the average price
will drop below S. for many years.
The cost of putting the hay into the
stack is about SI.25 per ton.
The average yields per acre are.
potatoes, 228 bushels; wheat, rs
bushels oats, 90 bushels sugar
beets, 20 tons.
All garden truck is easy to raise
except tomatoes and some kinds
easily affected by frosts, though
these with care may be grown sut-
fciently for family use.
An ordinary ranch garden about
two miles from Simms in 1905 pro
duced a net profit of S225 per acre
from the following kinds of vegeta-
bles, viz cabbage, potatoes. toma-
toes, squash, onions, pumpkins,
carrots, turnips, beets and parsnips.
The sugar beets grown in the Vi
cinitv have analysed over p per
cent sugar. The beet industry pro-
misses great things and sugar fac
tory is assured upon the compile
ton of the works necessary to irri-
gate an area large enough to guar
antee fve-year contracts on 5000
acres Of beets. Past experiments
prove that the farmer should aver
age a net profit of $40 per acre on
sugar beets.
It is probable that the Sun River
Valley will prove an excellent dairy
country. A creamery was compile
ted in Augusta in January, 1907,
and the three or four others already
in operation in neighboring towns
show that the industry is profitable
and will be permanent and growing.
Four and third million pounds
of butter are now imported annual
" from other States. This means
that over a million dollars ought to
be kept in Montana each year for
butter.
Full details relating to terms,
size of farm units and other infOr
nation regarding the method Of Sc
curing landslwill be furnished on
application to the Statistician, u.
S. Proclamation Service, Washing
ton, D. c.