The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-10-07
BY ellison Gardner.

BY ellison Gardner.
HUNTLEY, Mont, Oct. THE
United States government is SELL
ing irrigated farm lands at $34
an acre, while private companies
are selling similar lands in ad-
joining Counties for $50 an acre.
The government charges no in
terest on deferred payments; the
private companies charge from 6
to 10 per cent interest on such
payments.
The government engineering
works are of quality which
guarantees their permanence. In
many private enterprises the con-
struction is of very doubtful quail
ity.
Nevertheless the government
lands find purchasers more slow
ly than most of those put on the
market by private companies.
Here at the Huntley project
there are 11,750 acres open to
entry, and $3.50 with settlers,
and the lands were opened in the
spring of 1907.
why? Here are the reasons.
The government requires actual
residence on the land. Many pri-
vate companies offer land which
can be held by the purchaser with
out residence or cultivation. In
other words, the private company
permits speculation in irrigation
lands, while the government does
not. The government lands are
irrigated and opened at cost for
the benefit of the man who wants
to make a home and earn a living
from the soil. ~
To the actual settler, therefore,
government irrigated land at $34
an acre, payable in 10 annual in
stallments, is bargain.
To the man who is not willing
to come and live on the land the
offer has absolutely
no interest.
This Huntley project is a 40
acre proposition. That is all one
settler can get. OF course If there
Is a mother-in-law or sister who
will come and take up the adjoin-
ing 40 acres and live across the
street the family holding is dou-
bled. But ordinarily this is the
limit. Many private irrigation
will sell in units of 80,
100, or $40 acres; and some set
tiers think this more attractive
and are willing to pay the larger
price demanded by the private
However, 40-acre
farm is all one family can handle,
and a "greenhorn" better not try
running big place with help"
The small farm means intensi-
fled cultivation. In working this
out here at Huntley pickle fac.
tory has been started. One man
makes dill pickles. He pays g
cent a pound for the eucumbers
and sells his dills at $12 to $14
a barrel. The farmers are getting
1925 an acre raising the cucum-
bers.
Another industry which has
started here is raising seed peas
A big Michigan firm has selected
Huntley for one of its stations
and next season the farmers will
raise many bushels of peas.
One settler here had $4,000 can
which were almost ready
for market when the frost caught
them.
81 watered them once too oft
en-" he explained. "If / had left
them dry they would have ripened
before that frost. We live and
learn"
The same man has $500 fine
all ready for the Bill
Ings market.
The first woman settler in
made her current ex-
penses raising chicken and tur-
keys. Eggs bring 35 to 40 cents
IN Billings, 10 miles away. Chick
ems sell for so cents apiece. All
The staple crops raised by this
family were clear profit on ac-
count of the chickens.
A canning factory is to be
started next year to take care Of
the tomatoes which Huntley can
raise. No better tomatoes can be
raised than on this government
project. The same is true OF peas
and sweet corn