The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-10-09
Federal Reserve Agent Says Montana
Offers Best Opportunities to Farmers

and Montana will employ it's graz
ing acres for grazing purposes; while
Minnesota will increase the force be-
hind it's rapidly developing forestry
policy. It is obvious that there is
ample soil that is real agricultural
land in Montana for all who wish
to engage in the business of agri-
culture, and to such men the repeat
ed evidence of success where agri-
culture has already been developed,
ought to be convincing proof of what
1 have said.
Governments Part.
1.-THE United States government I'M
willingly, and with the able help Of
many men who were anxious for
/ quick profits in land, committed two
great crimes against your state. First
the government land was thrown Op-
en- for settlement before the govern
ment itself had any adequate soil
survey, knowledge of its productivity,
or had established the right methods
of securing the best agricultural pro-
duction. Second, both the govern
ment and landhOlders permitted a
great many people to come into your
state at a time when there had been
no economic survey whatsoever. The
result was that those who obtain
ed land were unable to obtain ad-
! equate knowledge of what they could
produce at a profit, where they could
market to advantage, or what parti-
cular type and kind of agriculture
would render the best results. There
are two outstanding evidences of the
truth of both the points I have
made. Where the government lOca-
ted misfits upon the land, they have
left to secure employment for which
they were better suited. Where peo-
pl were settled with out knowledge
of what might be the best agricuI-
tural methods, they have themselves
solved the problem or have adopted
the advice of agricultural experts
/, and completely changed and revis-
ed their methods of operation.
Changes in Last IS Years.
1.-The character of Montana agri-
!. culture has changed notably in the
/, last Is years. The evidence of this
e is in the increase of your wheat pro-
. ductiOn, from 6 IA to more than
81 IL million bushels; the increase
of your corn production from PA
thousand bushels to more than 8
= million bushels; to a still more sur
/. prising increase in your production
e of flax; and in the establishment OF
r very promising and rapidly develop
s ing activities in dairy cattle, hogs and
poultry.
S Success in agriculture could hard.
q ly have been expected when it was
left to the new settlers in Montana
to solve all their problems by rule
of thumb. 1t seems to me that thu
e process of developing the right sOIu
h lions is well on it's way to compile
ton and that Montana farmers ar,
developing an agriculture that il
r founded upon right principles ant
conducted along right lines. My con
e victiOn is that wherever men haV
n failed more experienced and NOR
a competent men will sooner or late
l. take their places and make a sue
cess, where, so far, there has BEEF
% nothing but a record of failure. Tha
ought not to surprise Montana
because, after all, it is only tn
experience that Western Minnesota
North and South Dakota, and al
other older parts of the north
west have gone through in tn
Is past. 1 doubt if there is any Dol
ton of the United States that ca,
X make a better business p%ropOsitio,
IT to a competent farmer than Montan
st and the adjoining Northwestern,
n state. Land is cheap and productive
there is adequate transportation
n there r established markets; Their
IT are good schools; attractive com
b. munities, and all of the factors tina
IT make for good home life and prone
H. social contact. I think Garet Gar
Of rett was entirely right when he wrot
TO me some little time ago than in Nor
tana, taking into consideration tn
existing conditions, "the real agricu.
tural land is actually cheaper toda
t. than when it was free" He mean
m OF course, that the present rattle
Id moderate and attractive price Z
n land is a small price to pay upo
OF the one hand, for an attractive an
en- profitable country life, and upon tn
he other hand, for freedom and bar,
n ships, misfortUnes and poverty. in
wv social as we'll as a none wav.
,rt pioneer existence.
to In a Class by Itself.
is What the country should kno,
ia 1t seems to me, in the undeniable ia
ed that in spite of the instances of fai
ut ure, Montana today is ia a class !
tn itself as a embarrassing state. AT
ly, can easily pay it's freight rates %