Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-10
REMARKABLE FARMING FEAT
Montana Homesteader Gets His Start
with Spade and Rake.
HE rs NOW WELL ESTABLISHED
George Eberhardt Uses Brains and
Drawn I'm Performing One of
Most Unusual Feats in
Agriculture.

HELENA, Mont, July 9-(Special)-
That man with no other capital in cash
than just enough to pay filing fee on a
homestead, put up a shack and purchase a
spade, rake and some garden seeds, could
make truck gardening a financial success
on a piece of high bench land, miles re-
mote from any water source, would be
unbelievable were IT not for the fact that
such a thing has been done three miles
south Of Hedgesville. George Eberhardt is
the man to whom the credit for this tri.
umph is due. Here is the story as the
Musselshell Advocate tells 1t and its truth
can be abundantly proven:
He came to Hedgesville, in Meagher
county, in the early part of 1909 and filed
on a homestead on the high level bench
land south Of town. After paying his filing
fee and building a small shack for shelter
he had only money enough left for the pur-
chase OF a rake a spade and some garden
seeds. But he also had had experience In
truck gardening in North Dakota, and
what was of equal value, q clear brain and
a stout heart
Those who knew his plans tried to dis
suade him from what they pronounced to
be foolhardy enterprise. But his faith
was not to be shaken nor his faith in in
telligent industry to Montana soil to be
dimmed Before the first year was over
peSsimists were routed and Eberhardt,
his brains, Drawn and industry had won
and the truck garden had been a success.
Eberhardt began his work early in 1909
by spading up an acre and one-half Of his
ground. He pulverized the soil we'll with
his two implements. the spade and rake
He planted his plot out to potatoes, onions
radisheE, cabbages, beans, and other STAPLE
garden stuffs, and he took care to conserve
all the moisture that fell. And the stuff
obstinately grew. and splendidly, too. AS
/ he took out stuff for his trips TO market
he replanted the portions vacated and he
continued this marketing and replantipK
until fall weather set in. late in Septem-
ber His nearest market was HarIowton.
eighteen miles distant, and not having the
price OF even a 'one boss shay" he de-
pended upon his neighbors to haul himself
and his garden stuff to town.
In the fall, his faith justified ana his
toll well reimbursed. he syndicated with
an adjoining claim owner and had ten acres
plowed. At an early date the next spring
he had the entire plot set out to garden
stuff. BY this time Hedges and New Shaw
NUT, nearby towns, had become fairly good
markets, lin addition to Harlowton
At the close OF 1910. Eberhardt was in a
position to take stock" on his garden
enterprise He had a new barn stored
with several tons OF good fodder, enough
for the winter for his team OF horses. a
new wagon, a new riding cultivator, his
little home comfortably furnished and well
stocked with eatables. and a comfortable
balance in the bank
And yet the year 1910 was the dryest
Montana has known In twenty years
What wonderful testimony this Is to
the productiveness of Montana soil.
And what a demonstration II the re-
wards that comes OF intelligent industry
In the treasure state.