The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-07-11

10 unusually lolSlllOd Ill lillO hoJ
will know a fame and a prosperity
that is perhaps beyond the vision and
the imagination of the men who are
striving with the scheme today.
Genius Behind the Plan.
Vision and imagination, always
qualities of leadership, were required
even to make a start in a plan so
far-reaching and so epochal. Fur
thermore, a zeal that knows no dis
couragement, that surmounts all OBJ
stacles, that overcomes all opposition
and that sees only success was neces-
sary. This vision, this Imagination,
this zeal and determination were fur
nished by Sidney M. Ward of Hamil-
ton, who is known up and down the
valley s Sid Ward, father of the
preceding idea and interchangeable
worker for the highest standards of
packing and grading of all fruits and
vegetables.
Not only has Sid Ward worked for
years among his own people of the
Bitter Root, but he has visited every
famous fruit valley of the West. He
has studied the far-famed methods |
of the fruit growers of California, of
Oregon and Washington. He has Wis
tied every successful preceding plant
in the country and has been in
strumental in selecting the two most |
successful men to take charge of the |
preceding plant at Hamilton. SUI
perintendent Snodgrass, in charge of
the packing plant, has seen years of
service in Oregon, and o. N. Kaldor,
who supervises the cooling of the
fruit and its treatment, is also we'll
known in the industry.
His Enthusiasm.
No one can listen to Mr.. Ward talk
of the Possibilities of the Bitter Root
without growing enthusiastic.
eve have the soil and we have
the climate. We are raising fruit
that is superior to anything of its
kind in the world. What we must
learn is how to market it to best adj
and in perfect condition. The
markets are ready and waiting for
us. That is no ridiculous statement.
We are one valley for which the ,
world is actually waiting" To prove
the point Mr.. Ward showed a report
On strawberries from the United
States department of agriculture. 1t
showed the country's shipment of ,
awberries-heavy in April, May
and June, tapering off in July and a :
complete break in August, September,
october and November.
Demand Never Satisfied.
"Our crop is at it's best when the
market is bare. We reach the top of I
)ur production in the months of
July, August, September and on until 1
he snow is on the ground. We pick
strawberries through the early snow
70 other valley in America produces l
during these months.
Yes, the market is waiting for us. I
f our plans for preceding, grading
Ind packing are successful, we can
liant $500 acres to Strawberries. 1
What this means becomes apparent
when I tell you that SO acres will a
produce all the strawberries that the
Montana market can absorb in
season. The demand for strawber- l
les has never yet been satisfied in
America.
"And with preceding and proper
trading and packing strawberries will c
lot be our principal production. In L
act it will be but one of many. We a
lave 20 great intensive crops, all of I
which will be big money makers for U
'ur people if we get them properly I
m the market. We shall develop I
industry as we'll as a green I
goods business and there is every q
'eason to believe that the Bitter Root V
abel will be blazoned across the
country, as the last word in de- +
icious fruits and delectable luxuries h
or the table. n
Prolific Yields, u
"Morella cherries, lettuce, spinach, e
casting ear corn, green tomatoes and
'nions are some of the products that
We can raise better than any other :
district and at a time when the mar :
lets are either low or bare. Onions :
lave already outstripped Strawberries ),
Is a money-making crop. One of our y
armers has raised 10000 pounds of =
'n1ons on one and one-eighth acres of y
ground. Another realized 1926 from =
)nlons grown on three-fourths af an
icre. One of our strawberry raisers
marketed 462 crates of berries from b
,Wo acres and it was the first year n
ne plants had been set out. In t.
other localities the plants do not o
Dear fruit until the third year. a
The preceding system is not new. g
x-re 81 e