The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-02-25

When Montana was first settled, our
only industries were stock raising and
mining. No one supposed that this was
a farming country. AS more people
came into the state and went into
stock raising, the range became more
crowed and the raising of stock be-
came more expensive. There came a
demand for forage to feed the stock
during the winter. 1t was then dis
covered, especially in ouch valleys as
the Yellowstone, Gallatin, Madison and
Big Hole, that if water were applied
artificially though irrigation that for
age crops could be grown successfully
and at a cost which would make stock
feeding profitable.
These early irrigation projects were
built primarily to raise feed for ami
mails. Food that was raised for hui
mans vas merely accidental, as our
population was small. AS more peo-
pie came into the state the feeding
of them became more of a problem and
we began trying to grow wheat and
other plants for human consumption.
1t was found that these could be grown
successfully under irrigation. In GER
tain sections of the state it was found
that wheat could be grown with more
or less success by the dry land
method.
Along about 1910 there was a great
Back to the Farm" movement, we
convinced the national government
that we had a farming country and
the 800 acre homestead act was passed.
Because of this and other reasons we
had what for us was a big influx of
people. Many of these were not far
mers, but clerks, school teachers and
other people from cities who could not
expect to make a success of farming.
They homesteaded the land and as soon
as they had proved up, sold out if they
could. Most of these people however,
liked Montana and remained here.
They also induced their friends to
come, and of course they had to have
productive employment provided for
them.
In 1914 came the war and with it
an increased demand for food produc-
ton. Fortunately or unfortunately
for US, 1915 and 1916 were good years,
that is we had an abundance of rain
fall during the growing season, in most
of the state and bumper crops were
raised by the dry land method. This
experience and the demand caused by
the var were the causes Of blowing up
the immense acreage and sowing it to
wheat. We have continued doing this
yer since that time, but with very lit
tie success during the last three or
four years. OF course some this So
called farming wasn't farming and was
doomed to failure. Some of the farm
ing, however, has been real farming.
BY using the results obtained by these
farmers and comparing the rain fell
during thse years with the weather
records of the past we can get a very
good idea as to what We may expect
in the future.
l have one particular territory in
mind where we have a weather record
extending over a period Of forty years.
By making the foregoing comparison
reasonable hopes of getting two crops
out of every seven years. This of
course shows that this is not a farming
territory for dry land farming. 1t just
happens that a large part of this terri
tory can be irrigated. Not every part
Of the state is as badly off as this
particular section. l have been told
that in some sections enough rain falls
every two years to assure n crop
and that by summer following, those
sections will make wheat farming sec
tons. But even in these sections it
would be well to irrigate those lands
which can be irrigated, because to
make a farming country prosperous
diversified farming must be practiced.
In other words, is isn't we'll to have all
of your eggs in one basket.
The foregoing story is probably
known to may people. They say,
Eyes, it is too bad it is hard on the
farmer." What they don't seem to re-
alize it that it is hard on them. Last
year when the appropriation commit
tee of the national house of representa-
tives were out here looking over the
Federal Reclamation Projects, the
member from Michigan kept saying,
"These projects are probably fine for
your people, but why should Michigan
be Interested" A western represen-
tative one day took him and showed
him some fifty automobiles made in
his home town in Michigan, belonging
to farmers on the project. Needless
to say our Michigan friend saw the
point, that if his home town wanted to
sell automobiles the wherewithal to
pay for these autos must be provided.
That is u situation, if we don't
make it possible for the farmer to
make a living he will have to go to
some other state where he can make
a living. If the farming sections are
deserted there will be no need for
the merchant, the banker, the lawyer,
or school teacher in the small town.
In fact there will be no small town.
If you don't believe this, visit some
old worked out mining camp which
in the old days made history for the
state. Visit Virginia City.
If the small town goes out of eX-
istence we will have too many bank