The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-18

MONDAY, MARCH IS, 1918.
UP on THE FLATHEAD.
EeTAellsHEp 1s7s

q future OIL great prosperity.
There are sound reasons for fore
casting a rapid and remarkable
development of the resources OF
this section.
The opening OF the railroad nat
,rally suggest important results
to the farsighted people who To-
Gated on the reservation. There
will be an immediate increase OF
activity because of better trans
portation and q new stimulus to
all that goes to make progress.
Quite as important as the com
ing of the railroad is the splendid
spirit Of confidence that reaches
to every corner. There is a
strength of faith that is conla-
gious. The pulse of the new life
IS beating and the people are pre-
pairing for wonderful period OF
growth and expansion that is GER
tain to come in full strength
after the war but which is al
ready in evidence.
However, their confidence is
sayored with modesty. They
want to grow; they are ready for
it and are inviting it, but it is
their hope that advance will be
accomplished by slow and sub
stantial processes. In other
words, they do not expect a boom
and what is more to the point,
they do not want one. Others
have had their lessons in too
hasty progress and the reaction
that is bound to follow. They are
willing to profit by the expert
ences Of these.
Notwithstanding the serious
ness of the drought of the sum-
mer Of 1917, the people have
.come back" chastened, but not
depressed. They have now a
Consciousness Of their limita-
tons. They realize that their
success depends upon the life
time of their soil. Already they
are beginning to understand that
one-crop farming is not the road
to independence. wheat has
been the magic word that hypno-
tized--thc waiting for the one
"big year. that would place them
OH the road to fortune. But that
year has not come, and the longer
time goes the less seems a pos
sibility. - .
The day- Of diversified agri-
culture is dawnlng. People OF
the reservation country are be-
ginning to realize that constant
cropping is taking from the soil
certain elements necessary to
fertility. They have learned that
these elements must be restored.
They are learning that raising OF
livestock in connection with gen
eral farming is the safest and sur
est way out and that to get these
necessary elements back into the
soil every farm must produce a
certain proportion Of meat and
dairy animals. The present
months of feed shortage have
demonstrated that the summer
must be given to preparation and
harvest of crops that will insure
adequate supplies to carry stock
through the season when the
ranges are covered with snow.
And what is the answer? II
means that more ground must be
seeded to hay; it means that the
silo is to take its place in the near
future with other buildings on
the modern farm; it means thai
cnsilage crops to fill these sllo>
must be grown, furnishing the
cheapest known feed for live
stock sustenance; it means that
the farmers who now go to thcll
neighbors for milk and butter
will be producing their own ano
in quantities in excess OF then
requirements; it means the grad
ual building up of dairying in
dustry second to none; ii means
that the agriculturist who now
has money only when his wheat
crop is marketed, and the most
Of which Immediately is paid out
to liquidate bills contracted dur
ing The time when he had nc
ready cash. daily will be getting
returns from his milk, cream ano
eggs; it means he will have {
steady income, his capital In
creasing in the growing number
of his herds and the augmentine
productivity of his soil. That /:
what the livestock industry mean:
to any community, and that i:
what it will mean to the people o
the reservation.
II IL unfortunate thai interna