The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-07-18

have been good reasons for the own
ers of valley land not being able to
prepare for the water. But the great
est obstacle has been the inability of
the land owners to get together on a
plan for a comprehensive distribution
system.
The condition of the valley this
year when forage and grain crops are
so badly needed is s%orroWful. There
are great areas of land in this valley
that are capable Of being watered that
are idle from lack of water or of time
to handle them. If the valley was
producing as it should be, it could
easily be made a greater winter feed
yard in years when winter feed is
short in other places. If the valley
were producing as it should be and
the land was held in smaller units, it
could be supporting five OF ten fam
lilies where it supports one now and
in better shape.
That is no exaggeration. Other ir-
rigated valleys in this state have
demonstrated that fact.
The primary cause Of the waste land
in this valley that could support hun
dreds of additional families, is the
lack of systems for putting the water
on the land. That lack it has been
customary to blame on the govern
ment, but it is hard to do so %convin-
cingly any longer.
The average extent of land hold
ings in the valley are too large. Many
men have more land than they can
profitably handle with the capital they
have available. But because of the
uncertain water situation, it is not
possible to sell their excess at a prof
liable figure. Land is too cheap for
irrigable land, but that is because
of the lack of scientific distribution
of the water or the lack of any distri-
button at all. Even the best ditch
systems are not covering all the land
they could profitably, nor are they
giving good service to the land that
is covered.
1t would cost money to put the val
ley in shape. 1t would" cost a lot Of
money, but there is no prospect Of the
valley ever being made to return ade-
quate profits until the investment is
made. The increase in the price of the
land would more than offset such an
expenditure, if we may judge of the
results in other irrigated sections. The
increase in production would in a short
time pay for reasonable expenditures
for good distribution systems.
The reclamation service has the
right to step in under the vested wat
err right contracts and put in adequate
distribution systems. The land own
ers have always been antagonistic to
the reclamation service doing that and
the government has shown no dispo-
sition to do so. But a any one
doubt that eventually the men without
water are going to demand govern
ment intervention, if no cooperative
plans are evolved for improving condi-
tions.
This year should emphasize in an
unforgetable way, the necessity of put.
ting every available acre in this val.
ley under the ditch. It is the first
and foremost agricultural problem in
this county and it's solution should be
taken up with a determination thai
will bring results. 1t is an economic
waste that fertile land so we'll stu
ated for reclamation should be idle
in a country where stock raising is sc
we'll established and where dairy farm
ing can so profitably be carried on.
It does not require much of an mag
ination to figure out the possibilities
of this valley if the land were wateree
as it can be. Winter feeding of live.
stock and dairy farming have made
less fertile districts than this pros
porous in other places.