Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-01-21

guest crops. have never seen such
sDpses ssfI sew Ut Misseulal yester-
day. ! never dreassed that the state
could produce s.seh fruit
Prof. Thomas Shaw, the eminent
agricultural expert. after examining
the exhtb1t at the Aeweana state fair
at Helena said: II ann Of the opinion
that there fs only one place on the
4Amerieam sentinen& that could raise
crops anywhere nexF approaching in
quality those exhibits I have seen to-
day. That i# the proei1see of Ontario.
Unqnalitieday the CROPS of Ontario
are lacking i'm the superior quality of
the Montana products, and they are
produced. too,. by farmers of many
years. esperielsee and wnder condi-
tions Of the very highest class of cul-
tivatiOn; which,. Of course, Montana
farmers'u up to this time have made no
pretense Of doing. But the Montana
farmer is rapidlf Improving his
methods Of culta,ye,. and in the not
far distant fi,ture,. we may expect an
even finer display taaan. tlsfs, although
the limit would sesm, to- have been
reached.''
The Agricultural possibilities of
MhNtana have long been known TO
james j.. Hill;. the. empire builder.
alrtls he has contaibntett ia many WAYS
tOtheSr development.. He made a re-
markaSle speech Sente,nber u, 1909,
ut the Montana Statefa at Helena.
which attracted. attention throughout
the Uuited States. among other
noteworthy things. Mh. Hill said:
Montana, as, your chairman said,
leadss .or'h has, led; iii the u oduction Of
gold, and Of silver. aila of copper,
and. then have all. hes4n extremely
valuable liz opening up your state,
bud let me say tliat' the natural
wealth. of the soil of Montana is
greater than. the wealth. Of all the
mines, within hen liorders-m
times graater.. 1t iss not at all
fanGfed, picture to, say, that Montana
can. produce, and. THAT she will pro-
dncee when. she has THE people-the
indrlst4 ons ,napulatiil.tO 60 out onto
the, sail-oNer S3O0sll@t 900 annually,
and that will: come u,A Of the soil;
and when. tt is done. tllny are ready to
turnitO' the same soi,lrss and produce
it next yeazs;. and thu year following,
aalals0 on ftluaWer. - Now have
newer lost faith f,st.' ane moment in
the,fertilitM Of the syGl Of Montana;
AMI today what Lsw seen? / have
scientific tn1u;t ion Of fuspe, maybe our
hope defeEred,. but in that building
there isan exhihitiam of agricultural
nrodnctH that CANNES be obtained by
any state, aE province on this CONT
nent.. Alnl in SONIC respects know
that it cannot he e,4ualed by any state
OEpnoMince OH this continent"
After. stating that in his opinion
Montana would become greater than
amy state in the union in the produc-
hDn OF small grains and might also
eventually become great corn state,
Mr.. Hill referred to the great area Of
un0eeupied, fertile land that is aw ait
ing settlement in Montana and said:
~vfhere are only two states in the.
union which have any large amount
OF agricultural land left in the public.
domain. We could increase that
acreage if we took in Texas, but that
land is not part of tina public do,
main, but it ia Il part of che property
of the state of Texas. .xnd. Montana
has within her borders unoccupietl
agricultural lands equnl-practicallN
equal. or nearly sO-t9the entire state
of Iowa, or the state Of Illinois, and
certainly they may he considered. tbs
richest states in the.sniOn, but neitAau
the state Of Illinois nor the sta Of
Iowa can make rs, good an exhibih on
all accounts rs yesa have shown, spday
in the exposition. hMilding over theme >.