THE IRRIGA TION A GE. 331 



The sources of water supply are everywhere present in such riv- 

 ers as the Yellowstone, Missouri, Milk, Sun, Powder, Big Horn and 

 others, with numerous creeks and mountain lakes, and many artes- 

 ian wells tapping- the underflow basins. Present estimates place the 

 area under irrigation at over one half million acres, and the number 

 of farmers at 7,000 or more. The old methods of appropriation and 

 general lack of measuring apparatus has caused considerable trouble 

 in adjusting claims for water, but modern ideas are being adopted, 

 less water is used and the waste prevented, thereby leaving more in 

 the natural waterways for new claimants. Although the mountains 

 are low, the highest peaks only reaching about 11,000 feet, there is 

 practically no limit to the water supply, but winter storage reservoirs 

 would insure perpetual and never failing ditches and many times the 

 present population could be supported on the broad tillable areas. 



Montana has a dry, bracing atmosphere, in all valleys except the 

 northwest, where the warm, moisture-laden Chinook winds from the 

 Pacific Japanese current furnish enough to temper the breeze and dis- 

 pense with irrigation. Some sections thus affected may be termed 

 sub-humid and differ materially from the irrigated mesas. The west- 

 ern portion of the state, in the vicinity of Butte, Helena and Ana- 

 conda is more thickly populated and farms are smaller because of the 

 local demands for product occasioned by the mining industry. This 

 is no small inducement for increasing mixed farming, as during the 

 past quarter of a century not less than $500,0000,000 in precious met- 

 all have been taken from the placer and quartz mines of the state. 

 Those not familiar with actual local conditions suppose Montana is 

 too cold for agricultural success, but the idea is erroneous in every 

 particular. In severe winters the thermometer reaches 25 degrees 

 below zero in unprotected places, but this is not so noticeable as zero 

 in the humid districts of the east. 



In 1897 the farmers of Montana had 69,792 acres planted to wheat 

 and harvested 2,268,240 bushels, of which one-quarter million bushels 

 found an outside market at good prices. The oat crop for last year 

 required 61,000 acres and produced nearly three million bushels, over 

 one-quarter million bushels being shipped to the world's markets. 

 Other crops yield proportionately and the alfalfa and wild hay reaches 

 500,000 tons a year, which is fed to cattle and sheep in fattening for 

 the early spring markets of Chicago and Omaha. The products can 

 be quickly shipped to any market in the world, through the perfect 

 railway system, reaching every important agricultural district. The 

 Oregon Short Line, Northern Pacific, Montana Central and branches 

 extend over 2,735 miles of surface and ramify the many districts, giv- 

 ing direct shipping routes to the Pacific coast, the Canadian North- 

 west and the inland commercial marts of the United States. 



The several irrigated valleys of Montana are admirably adapted 

 to fruit growing and market gardening and the local market consumes 



