The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1912-02-08
FARMS DOUBLE IN VALUE
Population Of State Has More Than
81 Per Cent Increase.

Washington, D. C.-The thirteenth
decennial census advance bulletin on
agriculture for Montana has been is
sued by Census Director Durand.
Montana ranks third in area and
fortieth in population among the
states and territories of continental
United States.
The alluvial bottom lands in all por-
tions of the state are devoted to in
tensive agriculture through the irriga-
ton Of the soils lying at such levels as
may be reached by irrigation canals.
The higher bench lands and con-
siderable proportion of the elevated
plateau country are used for dry land
farming, chiefly for the production OF
the cereal grains; while all of the
rougher portions of the state except
ing the most rugged mountainous
areas are used for grazing purposes.
III the extreme eastern portion of the
state small area of plateau country
has been so severely eroded that it
is known as the Bad lands, and this
portion is non-agricultural, though
supporting grazing to a limited ex-
tent.
A considerable amount of land lying
principally in the valleys in the noun
famous region, occupying the south
western and central parts of the state
is under irrigation, while the plains
are devoted more largely to dry farm
ing and to the range cattle industry.
In nearly all sections of the state, how
ever, by means of intensive cultiva-
ton and summer following, grain can
be grown without irrigation. A small
section in the northwestern corner
of the state receives sufficient rain
fall to be classed as humid.
Of the states entire land area one
seventh is in farms, the proportion be-
ing highest in the south central part
OF the state, where a group of coun-
ties have from 20 to 40 per cent of
their total land area in farms, and
one county, Cascade, has from 40 to
60 (46.2) per cent of it's land in farms.
The remaining counties, constituting
about three-quarters (74.4 per cent? of
the states total area, are in the less
than 20 per cent class.
Between 1900 and 1910 there was an
increase of 132,724 or 54.5 per cent, in
the population of the state The num-
Der OF farms almost doubled, increas-
ing 1884, or 96.1 per cent. The total
farm acreage increased only 1,701 ,149,
or IA per cent. The small gain in
acreage is due largely to the fact that
in 1900 the Grow Indian reservation of
100000 acres was leased by cor
poration for grazing purposes and was
included as a farm. Less than one
fifth of this reservation was reported
as farm land in 1910. Excluding this
farm" for 1900, the increase was s.
201, 149 acres, or 623 per cent. The
acreage of improved land in farms in
creased more rapidly than any of the
above items, having more than
doubled during the decade.
The average value of a farm with it's
equipment in 1900 was $S,S15, while
ten years later it was $13,269. The
average value of land rose from S445
per acre in 1900 to $16.74 in 1910, this
advance being accompanied by in
creases in the average value per farm
of buildings and of implements and
machinery.
OF the 26,214 farms in the state, g.
$40 or over one-third, were reported
as irrigated in 1909. The acreage irri-
gated in 1909 was 1,679,Cs4 acres, or
about As per cent of the improved
land in farms. The area to which
enterprises existing in 1910 were capa-
Bile of supplying water was 2,2O5,155
acres, and the total acreage included
in irrigation projects, completed or
under construction in 1910, was 3,515,-
602 acres
In the forty years since 1870 the
population of the state has increased
by 355,458, or about eighteen times,
and each decade except 1890 to 1900
has shown a larger absolute increase
than the preceding decade.
There has been a rapid increase in
the number of farms since the organi-
zation of the territory (1864) and espe-
cially since 1880. The greatest rela-
tive increase occurred between 1880
and 1890, but the greatest absolute
increase was in the last decade. when
the number almost doubled, increas-
ing from 1890 to 26,214.
arm Valuation Nearly Treble.
The total wealth in the form OF farm
property is nearly s34S,000,000, of
which 1928 per cent is represented by
land and buildings, per cent by i'm
plements and machinery and 24.6 per
cent by live stock. The total value
of farm property almost trebled be.
tween 1900 and 1910, increasing by
about $230,00O,OO0. Of the total in
crease in value $3.50, 100000 was in
land and buildings, $6,S6S 900 in nipple
ments and machinery and 33,501 900
in stock. The absolute gain in total
value OF farm property was nearly four
times as great, and the percentage gain
over twice as great in the decade from
1900 to 1910 as during the decade i'm
mediately preceding, but the percent