The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-12-22
MONTANA LEADS
IN H0MESTEADS
ONE FOURTH OF LAND FILED ON
IN UNITED STATES IN FOUR
YEARS LOCATED IN STATE
Over 100000 Filings Made in Mon
tana During That Period; Govern
ment Experimental Farms Doing
Great Work for the Men Making
Homes in Montana.

During the past four years one
fourth of all the land taken up in the
United States on homesteads, desert
tracts. railroad land and other tracks
open to settlement was taken up In
Montana, according to Alfred Atkln-
son, state agronomist and head OF
the experiment farms conducted UNI
der the auspices of the state agricul-
tural college. During that time l09,-
90 filings were made in Montana,
each representing from 160 to 800
acres or larger tracts. The cost OF
taking up the tracts and improving
them varies from a few hundred to
several thousand dollars.
The department is operating five
widely different experimental farms
in Montana, each a study in different
conditions in various parts of h
state, and it is the hope of Mr.. At
kinson and his associates to get an
appropriation from the next legisla-
ture for two more stations, one in
the Flathead and one in the far east
ern part of the state.
Dry Land Experimentation.
1.-The first work OF the department
was to show the people what could
be done with dry-land farming meth
DDS. The first steps were taken IL
years ago, and now it has become a
question of what methods and rota-
ton Of crops will cur the better
results. The success of the dry land
farm has been Proved" Mr.. Atkin-
son said, and referred to the thou
sands of wheat growers who have
settled on the great bench lands OF
the state.
"It is now a question of finding the
best methods to be carried on along
a permanent basis. In arriving at
the answer to this question the de-
partment has conducted five expert
ment stations. One of them is a dry
farm at Bohemian. Another has been
established at Huntley, and both the
irrigated and dry-farm station near
Moccasin, in the central part of the
Judith basin.
States Big Bargain.
"At Fort Assinniboine, south OF
Havre, the department has 1000
acres and 81, 200 900 worth of build
ings which were sold to the state for
$4,000 when the federal government
withdrew from the fort.
I'VE are conducting a fruit sta
ton at Victor in the Bitter Root
Each of these stations has different
problems. In each part of Montana
the rainfall, altitude and other con
ditions make farm methods widely
different in order to be successful
We are studying each one in orde1
to determine which system will give
the best and most permanent results
"Among the big problems of the
department is to determine a success
full crop for each section which may
be used instead of following the dry
wheat land every year in order thai
the crop production may be kept up
Two More Stations Wanted
1--WE want two more stations in the
state, one to be located east of Miles
City. The conditions there are en-
tirely different from other sections o.
the state and different crops will be
tried until one which is a commercial
success and one which will be o:
permanent use is found.
"The other station we want locat
ed in the Flathead, west of the noun
tains. The station there will be o.
a general nature to determine mucl
closer the conditions for farming
The legislature will be asked for al
annrOnrjatiOn.