i9o8 AMERICA'S GREATEST IRRIGATION SCHEME 



259 



small areas of land were brought un- 

 der cultivation, especially in the val- 

 leys along the many streams, and this 

 fact proved that the country during 

 seasons of sufficient rainfall was well 

 adapted to the growth of grain, vege- 

 tables, and fodder crops. 



A series of dry years, commencing 

 in 1892, with consequent crop failures, 

 turned the attention of the settlers to 

 the possibility of aiding the growth of 

 their crops by irrigation. Such 

 marked success followed their efforts 



ume of the water supply available, and 

 the location of the areas where such 

 water could be used to the best ad- 

 vantage. 



In considering the possibilities of 

 irrigation in northerly latitudes, bear 

 in mind the fact that the State of Mon- 

 tana, where the conditions are almost 

 identical with southern Alberta, raises 

 more agricultural products under irri- 

 gation than the States of Oregon, 

 Washington and Wyoming combined ; 

 as much as the State of Utah, and half 



AMERICA'S BIGGEST IRRIGATION SCHEME 

 Reservoir No i, Canadian Pacific Railway's Irrigation Plant, Calgary 



that general attention was directed to 

 this method of extending settlement 

 and insuring crop production. 



The question finally assumed suffi- 

 cient importance to warrant its being 

 taken up by the government, and, after 

 careful consideration, and examination 

 of existing conditions in the irrigated 

 States to the south, a well considered 

 and comprehensive law relating to the 

 use of water for irrigation was passed, 

 a system of general surveys under- 

 taken to determine the source and vol- 



as much as the State of Colorado. 

 Enormous irrigation development is 

 now taking place in northern Mon- 

 tana, by and under the direction of the 

 United States Government, which will 

 place that State in the front rank of 

 irrigation countries. In fact, unmis- 

 takable evidence is visible on all sides 

 to the effect that the largest area of 

 irrigable lands in America will pre- 

 sently be found among the rich agri- 

 cultural lands of northerly latitudes, 

 under semi-humid climatic conditions. 



