The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1919-08-01

! struggle necessary to develop such q
country, under such stern conditions.
develops of necessity strong men?"
evolved Richard. "Oh. yes. believe
that, too"
''Oh. more than that. r is not so
much the struggle as the necessity for
cooperation. The mutual dependence
is one of the blessings Of aridity."
zone of the blessings OF aridity!"
echoed his listener. "YOu are d philos-
opher." He had not yet touched the
others thought Mt the spring.
"You might as we'll call me a social
list because l praise irrigation in that
it stands for the small farm unit"
retorted the valley man. "That is one
Of it's flats; the small unit. 1t is the
small farm that pays. That fact brings
many advantages. What Is the charm
Of Riverside? It comes to me always
like the unreal dream of the socialist
come true. 1t is city Of farms, of
small farms. where q man may make
his living off his ten acres of oranges
or lemons; and with all the comforts
and conveniences of a city within
reach. his neighbors not ten miles of
A farmer in Riverside or in any irri-
gated community does not have to
postpone living for himself or his fam
lily until he can sell the farm! He
can 60 to church, can walk there: the
trolley car which passes his door
takes him to public library or the
school. His wife does not need to be
a drudge. The bread wagon and the
steam laundry wagon stop at her
door,"
Richard observed that perhaps he
did not know anything about irrigation
after all! He had not thought of it
before in its sociological relation but
merely as it touched his profession.
Not going into soil values. for that
is long story" began the older man,
"irrigation is the answer which sci.
ence gives to the agriculturist who is
impatient OF haphazard methods. Irri.
cation is not compromise, as so many
believe who know nothing about 1t. It
Is distinct advantage over the old
fashioned methods.
Il am one of those who always
thought 1t a compromise admitted
the engineer.
"Better call rain compromise" re.
tOrted the irrigatiOnist. 1.-The man
who irrigates gives water to the tree
which needs it; rain nOurishes one
tree and browns out another. Irriga-
ton is an insurance policy against
drought. guarantee against floods.
J The farmer who has once operated an
irrigated farm would be as impatient
were he again subjected to the caprice
of rain as housewife would be were
she compelled to wait for rain to fill
her washtub. There Is no irregularity
or caprice about irrigation"
"Wonder how the old fellow picked
it all up?" unused Richard with dis.
respect. Aloud he SAID. You were
} speaking Of the value Of the soil?'
Look ut the earth those plows are
turning over. See how rich and friuble
it is, how it crumbles? You can dig
sort Of sell. eight hundred feet down
1t is disintegrated rock and leaf mold
brought in here in the making of a
; delta. Heavy rainfalls are rare here
though We have had them. in spite Of
: popular opinion. We're We to have
) frequent rains the chemical properties
which rain farmers must puy to enrich
hnip k,r Ion -, al
out. drained from the soil. can,
make this comprehensive. but I've 8
monograph on desert soil. If you are
interested I'll send it to you.''
: Il should like it-immenSely." as
sented the engineer. still amused.
: ut explains the choice of the Aztecs
of the lncas. of Carthaginians. thu
Moors,' observed the stranger. 1.-THE,
chose the desert. not in spite of thu
soil but because Of it. doubt if the,
: We're awake to the social advantage,
Of the system. but it was their co
, operative brotherhood that helped
: them to their glory. We are centurie.
:. behind them. I'm getting OUT here
4 Imperial. If you come up to lmperia
t look me up. BrandOn's my name. Nv,
j.. no card these days."
5 ''There are several things want I,
0 hear from YOU" answered Richard
l following brown necktie and po!nte,
v beard to the platform. "l'll be sur,
2 n look you up. Mines Richard"
= The breeze which was now enterin:
t the car windows had blown over tn
clOver-leafed fields. Its message wa
2 sweet and fresh. Richard could Sc,
n the canals leading off like silve
i threads to the homes and farms Of tn
Il future: "the socialists dream COM