The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-04-04
IMPROVE MISSOURI
TO RECLAIM LANDS
THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF RICH
BOTTOMS WILL BE OPEN TO
CULTIVATION BY NEW
PLAN.


st. Paul, April According to
Capt. I. p. Baker If Bismarck, N. D..
one of the most widely known river
men in the Northwest, tho United
states government probably will start
revetment work on the upper Missouri
river early in July. The river and har-
| Dor bill. which is in the hands of the
committee on commerce, will soon be
| reported to the senate. IL contains an
amendment appropriating 100000 for
| improvements above Kansas City,
SITS, 900 of which win he spent between
Lebc u, S. d. ard For Benton. The
governments fiscal year ends June 80,
and it starts Immediately thereafter
i'm carrying out the work which has
| been outlined.
Improvement Of the Missouri, as
| planned, will, according &C Captain
Baker, virtually mean the reclamation
Of hundreds of thousands of acres OF
the richest land in tho Northwest. In
the lowlands whc-e tho stream over
flows each year are great tracts which
become beds of lakes and on which
the water remains until the season is
too far advanced for thc sowing of
wheat or corn or flax. When the wa
ter does go off, it leaves a slit and
this slit has accumulated for years, fer
tilizing the ground for agricultural
purposes. 1t has produced millions of
tons of hay i'm the last decade. But
with the revetmert of the river banks,
the building of dykes to stop the over
I flow, farmers will feel safe in going
upon this bottomland and improving it
for The raising of wheat and corn.
Revetments Washed Away.
Experiments have shown that from
| / to IL per cent of revetn1er.1 is de-
stroyed each year" Captain Baker
said. In other words, those which
will be built this summer win last APP
Iproximately fifty years. And while
primarily the revetments are intended
to hold the waters within the banks,
in reality they will reclaim abutting
land and restore 1t 10 agriculture
Congress is preparing to vote ST.
900, 900 for improvements between St.
Louis and Kansas City, $125,00O for
improvements between Kansas City
and Lebeau and $4,000 for improve
ments between Lebeau and Fort BEN
ton. This will virtually mean the re-
the stream. Ore hardly realizes the
magnitude of the project. The govern.
ment engineers will reach here early
| in July and before the summer IL far
advanced, will have tho work under
way. Farmers will re a xed to collect
1.-THE stones and boulders on their land
and sell them to the engineering crews.
Many have already started making
these collections. The government will
buy them by the square ya%d or the
cord.
Rich Future for Northwest.
with wheat selling at 81 to Sis a
bushel, with hogs bringing . cents and
steers and cents, the Northwest is
destined to grow rich beyond the
dreams of the mos. optimistic. The
tide of immigration has already turned
back from the coast. Persons who
went to Washington and California
where they are selling fruit land at $3.50
an acre are coming back here where
they may buy agricultural lands at $50
an acre. In the districts to be re-
claimed by Improvement Of the Mis-
souri, the corn stalks will be outlets
for the artisan water and they will
grow tall and strong and produce vol
umes of the yellow grain. ,-e
Active Navigation on Missouri.
Captain Baker is at the head of the
Benton Packet company, whose boat
Expansion" was crus.--C in the ice
jam at Bismarck when the great cakes
passed out of the river a few weeks ago
The boat is total wreck, Mr.. Baker
said, and gone. There will be no SAL
wage from it. Its pilo| house is hang
ing on snag about five miles DOWN
the river from Bismarck. It was val
ued at about $4,000 The Benton
Packet company has eight other boats
on the Missouri, and all but one are
now in operation Navigation opened
about 80 days earlier than ;.=laI this
lyear.
|