The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-06-21
MONTANA's GREATEST ENTERPRISE

Montana is such an immense state in area, wealth and
variety of resources that it is quite easy, at times and in
some sections, to lose the true prospective of the future.
In parts Montana's wealth is in her forests, in other parts
it is in her mines. Oil fields are being developed as a new
and highly important source of wealth. Large in the
states list of assets is power, both developed and poten-
tial, which means that manufacturing is a healthy and
growing item in the list. But of course the predominant
ing resources of the Treasure State are farming and stock
raising. Farming naturally falls into two divisions
natural farming and irrigated. While stock raising is
largely carried on as a separate industry, agricultural signs
point more and more toward a combination of grain, feed
and live stock, especially cattle, hogs and sheep.
While the strenuous activities of developing the re-
sources of the state are under way, many issues come up
to confuse or divert the vision of those trying to antici-
pate what the future has in store. In some places they
are waiting for the completion of irrigation projects, and
irrigation were available and practicable, and where the
government Will complete it IN a reasonable time is no
doubt the proper move to push. In some sections that
have a fair start in farming they are hoping for oil to bring
them quick wealth, and if it does that is alright, too. But
it might be just as well, in the mean time, to keep the pillow
going and the pigs growing.
In the early development stage of a state like Montana
many things must be done. Some have to do with mines,
some with power, some with state and county highways,
some with oil fields, some with transportation, manufac-
turing, numbering and we even occasionally take on a
million dollar sporting event, which is alright, if it pays
But does anyone doubt that the biggest thing Montana
as a whole is doing or can do is develop as rapidly and
perfectly as possible systems of realizing the wealth that
is in her soil and that is cashed in in the form of wheat,
beet, pork, milk, mutton, potatoes and the endless pro-
ducts that our soil yields when mixed with moisture?
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such as Minnesota or Wisconsin has attained, it will be
found that by far the largest item on the credit side of her
account will be farming the soil (mostly by natural but
also by irrigated ~methods) in connection with the raising
of domestic animals-th the production of bread, meat and
milk and the by-products. 1t will be an item larger than
all the champion prize fights that can be brought to the
state, larger than the output of all the stills within our
borders, even larger than the aggregate value of all the
oil from the many wells that will by that time pour their
liquid gold into the tanks of their monopolistic owners.
Our soil wealth will always belong to the bone and
sinew of the land-the people who till it. 1t will rank
with and at the head of our Big Four-Soi, Mines, Power,
Forests. Every five million dollar rain, like that of Tues
day, that sends crops forward and soaks into the summer
falloW, should renew our realization of this fact.
OF greatest importance to the people of this region
is the fact that no part Of Montana has better soil pros
poets than Roosevelt and surrounding counties. So at
no place can the people more proftably devote their hon
est and concentrated efforts to working out the most
economic and permanent system possible of convert
ing the soil wealth to their own w~ellbeing. The job is
neither simple nor easy, no state ever found it easy, but
It is possible and it is our logical task.
Today is the longest day of the year and bids we'll to
be the Wettest also.