The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-10-06

NAoIIS3 UAC Hd1l uOLCII W llOOF
yearly crop yields are the greatest
or even i'll the next group, or the
neXt-yOu will not now find MOnta-
la, yet 1T Is the expectation Of those
informed OF her resources that III a
decade or two Montana annual
yield OF farm products will be sur
passed in value only by those of four
or five states.
This belief is based on the fact that
Montana has as many acres OF Ter
tile tarm lands that nave never been
titled as are under cultivation i'll
either of the principal agricultural
states and every bit as productive.
The only reason Montana Is not now
among the first OF the states i'll the
annual value OF crops is because so
few acres are cultivated.
This condition can not long contln-
ue. People who must derive tood
from the products OF the SOIL are born
every minute, and no new lallu Is be-
ing created to meet their needs.
knowledge that millions or acres OF
fertile farm lands are lying unoccu-
pied and uncultivated in Montana
has brought about a movement OF
settlers into it which has already as
sumed large proportions and Will
speedily people the empty places and
bring millions of acres OF land into
cultivation to supply the world with
food.
The era of cheap land has passed
in the older states, as 1T will soon
have passed liz the entire United
States. People are land hungry and
no n n 6 ~ 4 bni m
proved transportation facilities have
brought places remote within reach
of the mark cts OF the world. In old
days when people were few, land
plentiful, transportation facilities
imperfect or absent, and when there
were hostile indians to dispute the
extension of settlement, it took a
half century to develop a region to
the extent that it can be settled and
developed under the conditions exist
ing at present in a decade There
fore it is not improbable that Monta-
ma will develop in twenty years as
much as Iowa or Illinois didin fifty.
Chance to own your home. What
does Montana offer to the homeseek-
er? 1t offers land, free government
land and cheap decided land, the OPP
portunity to acquir> a home, an in
dependence and competence to ev-
cry man possessing industry and
ability to work and means enough to
equip farm and support himself un-
til he sells the first crop.
Montana is the third state in size.
Within it's border are SO, ,SO6, ,OSO acres,
of which $4,000, ,229 acres were unap-
propriated and unreserved govern
ment lands June 30, 1909. The sur
veyed public lands lands were O,384, :
OS6 and the unsurveyed 22:515, lab
acres. Forest reserves occupy more
than 20 ,OOO, 900 acres, and there are eX-
tensive Indian and military reserva-
tions.
OF the total about 10000, 900 acres
are agricultural lands, the remaining
being grazing. forest or mountain
Gus. About 5000, 900 acres are sus-
ceptible of irrigation.
Large grants of public lands were
made to the Northern Pacific Rail-
way Company to aid in it's construc-
ton. and to the state of Montana for
educational and other public purpos-
es, much of which has passed into
private ownership.
In 1909 the acreage in hay, wheat
oats and barley. the principal crops.
was only 512,7 ,7S3, according to the
year book of the Department OF Agrl-
culture.
In 1910 the acreage IN the principal
crops was as follows: Spring Wheat
1s5 900. Winter wheat 25S,0O0, oats
345 900, barley 81, 1000, fax 10000 and
corn 5000, a total of S65, 900, exclu-
sive of hay and sugar beets which
increase the total several hundred
thousand acres. The increase over
1909 in the acreage of the crops
named was 10000. Land planted
for the first time in the fall of 1908
and spring of 1910 should bring the
acreage in cultivation next spring to
!, 500, 900 or more.
These figures show how vast is the
area of arabic land not in cultlva-
ton, If there are 80 900, 900 acres OF
farm land in the State and only L.
500 900 in cultivation, there remain
2S, 800 900 waiting for the pillow. Some
of this is in private ownership, but
the greater part in government land
subject to homestead entry. The
public land is going fast; July l,
1908, there were 46, ,532, ,44O acres OF
unreserved and unappropriated pub
lie land in Montana; July 1. 1909, AZ.
9OO, ,22O and July l.. 1910, 40,O0O,OOo.
Already those who have delayed com
ing find that they have to go back
from existing railroad lines to find
locations: but cheer late corners in
the announcement by the railroad
companies of plans for the building
of 800 miles of new track.
10000 acres irrigable. or the
area adopted for agriculture, $685.
900 are estimated to be lrrlgable,
and large reclamation projects have
been undertaken by the government
and smaller ones by corporations
acting under state supervision under
the provisions of the Cary act. These
lands, with perpetual water right,
sell for from $50 an acre up. There
are many acres of land irrigated
from private, cooperative or com
pany bitches in the older settled sec