Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1912-11-21
Fort Peck Reservation Ready for
Settlers Next Spring.
Last Big Tract Left In West-so'l
Unusually Productive In GRAIN
A. Shown BY Progress Made
BY Tribes Themselves.

Butte, Mont-Two million acres OF
land In Montana, now known az the
Fort Peck Indian reservation. Will be
thrown open for settlement by the
government next spring. This Ii the
last large tact Of public land In the
west that has not been opened to set
tiers.
Inasmuch az less than one per cent
of this land has been cultivated and all
OF It In said to be fertile. It 10 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 723.69S
acres. The rest Ii unoccupied.
"on the superstition that the unoc-
cupied lands were devoted to the
growing Of wheat on the summer fai'
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 rs bushels
per acre, which Is q moderate esti'
mate for yields on land thus prepared
the aggregate production would be H.
312. 500 bushels" Thomas Shaw. agrt
cultural expert. estimates.
Prof. Shaw further says: III TINS
land were entirely devoted to the
growing of barley on the summer TAI
low plan, the yield would be SO,9OO.T
600 bushels, az barley grown on such
land should average 40 bushels per
acre. II the entire area were de-
voted to the growing of oats on the
same lines, the total production would
be Ss,626,0 900 bushels. as SO bushels
mar acre would not be an extrava'
CANT estimate for land thus farmed.
The Fort Peck reservation will also
be the scene Of q 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 q few years OF
instruction In modern farming meth
DDS.
There will be exhibited at this time
some unusual specimens Of grain and
grasses that win 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 q 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 ~rest living from
the soil. The exhibits there were
carefully studied. and the representa-
tives returned to their prairie homes
with ideas a. revolutionary as they
proved to be profitable. Instead Of
truck farmers living in tepees. they
resolved to be ranchers living IN
comfortable cottages overlooking
thousands Of acres. That they went
to work with q vim . shown BY the
fact that at the present time there
are twice az many acres Of land under
cultivation a. there we're . year ago
Agriculture is not The only form Of
American civilization the Indians on
this reservation have assimIlatod
They have also learned to play foot
ball
The Indian civilization win not BE-
entirely Overshhdowed By what has
been learned from the white man
however, all the old tribal customs
win Be perpetuated In dances and
ceremonies that have been handed
down for centuries
TIE sioux WIN hold thsiE annual
festival q which all ne weird rite
AZ heir f1rr11l1era ulr - NED