The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-11-22
Fort Peck Reservation Ready for
Settlers Next Spring.
Last Big Tract Left In West-Soil
Unusually Productive In Grain,
Az Shown BY Progress Made
BY Tribes Themselves.

Butte, Mont.-Two million acres of
land In Montana. now known as the
Fort Peck Indian reservation, will be
thrown open for settlement by the
government next spring. This is the
last large tract of public land in the
west that has not been opened to set
tiers.
Inasmuch as less than one per cent
Of this land has been cultivated and all
of 1t is said to be fertile, it is esti-
mated that the harvest will be en-
riched by 100000 bushels of grain
year after 1t is settled and devel-
oped. The share of this tract allotted
to Indians of many tribes is 1858
acres. The rest Is unoccupied.
ION the superstition that the unoc-
cupied lands were devoted to the
growing of wheat on the summer fall
low plan, which would mean that one
half the area would be in crop at one
time. and on the further superstition
that the wheat would yield 25 bushels
per acre, which is a moderate esti-
mate for yields on land thus prepared.
the aggregate production would be 49,
S12,500 bushels" Thomas Shaw, agri-
cultural expert. estimates.
Prof. Shaw further says: II this
land were entirely devoted to the
growing of barley on the summer fall
low plan. the yield would be 10000
900 bushels, as barley grown on such
land should average 40 bushels per
acre. IL the entire area were de-
voted to the growing of oats on the
same lines, the total production would
be 3S,625.000 bushels, as 80 bushels
per acre would not be an extrava-
CANT estimate for land thus farmed."
The Fort Peck reservation will also
be the scene of unique event when
the first county fair ever held by In
dian tribes will open there, At this
fair will be shown the rapid progress
made by the red men in extensive
agriculture after only few years of
instruction in modern farming meth
DDS.
There viii be exhibited at this time
some unusual specimens of grain and
grasses that will also be entered
later in the year at eastern land
shows in competition with prize
products of the white man. This
progress has all been made in the last
two years. since before that time
hardly any of the land was being
developed with modern methods.
A year ago the Great Northern rail
road sent representative body OF the
tribes inhabiting this region to the
New York land show to give them an
opportunity to see what the white
man was doing to wrest living from
the soil. The exhibits there were
carefully studied. and the representa-
tives returned to their prairie homes
with ideas as revolutionary as they
proved to be profitable. Instead OF
truck farmers living in tepees. they |
resolved to be ranchers living In |
cottages overlooking |
thousands of acres. That they went |
to work with vim IS shown by the !
fact that at the present time there |
are twice as many acres of land under
cultivation as there were year ago.
Agriculture is not che only form OF |
American civilization the Indians on |
this reservation have assimilated. |
They have also learned to play foot
ball.
The Indian civilization will not be i
entirely overshadowed by what has
been learned from the white man,
however. all the old tribal customs
viii be perpetuated in dances and
ceremonies that have been handed
iown for centuries.
The Sioux will hold their annual /
festival at which all the. weird rites
OF their forefathers will be used. /