332 THE IRRIGA Tl ON A GE. 



everything in the fruit and vegetable line, in addition to making im- 

 portations from Utah and Idaho. The sunny slopes of the Yellowstone, 

 Bitter Root, Missouri, Gallatin and Milk river basins produce moct 

 wonderful vegetables of all classes. Gardeners grow potatoes weigh- 

 ing three or four pounds, rutabagas tipping the scales at ten pounds 

 and turnips as large as wash basins. The soil being a decomposed 

 mold of vegetable fertilizers and the climate exceeedingly mild makes 

 of these valleys a perfect land for producing melons, tomatoes, sweet 

 potatoes, tobacco, peanuts with all the small fruits suited to such cli- 

 mate. There is no better state for the successful culture of straw- 

 berries, raspberries, blackberries and similar fruits. With perfect 

 irrigation facilities, unequaled home markets and the natural assist- 

 ants climate and soil, the irrigable valleys of Montana will become 

 perpetual homes of peace and plenty. 



Private ownership of irrigating ditches and the necessity for us- 

 ing the inventive powers of the pioneers have caused the farmers to 

 utilize their home water power for many labor saving devices. It is 

 no unusual thing in this state to find a man with a small wheel in his 

 ditch creating power for running a churn, feed cutter, corn grinder, 

 wood saw, grindstone or other farm utensil. In some instances the 

 ditches are used in filling fish ponds or ice reservoirs. Several resi- 

 dents are engaged in fish culture, using fresh water ponds or reser- 

 voirs for growing the best market species. The census of 1890 gave 

 43 persons engaged in inland fisheries within the state, but the bus- 

 iness has greatly increased in the past eight years. A system of sum- 

 mer fallowing one half the land has been practiced since the settle- 

 ment of the state, especially by those having individual ditches. This 

 method of alternating the land it is claimed increases the yield and 

 maintains natural fertility without expense. 



Stockraising has been the chief range industry for a quarter of a 

 century and will continue for many years, independent of agriculture, 

 but a change is gradually taking place, and sheep and cattle are be- 

 coming a part of the small farm properties. About 3.000,000 sheep 

 are owned by farmers and wool growers, and many are fed alfalfa and 

 farm crops through the winters, increasing the wool and mutton qual- 

 ities and resulting in the addition of much more annual wealth through 

 irrigation and cultivation of feed crops. The cattle herded and fed 

 number over one million head, while a quarter-million of horses add to 

 the grazers occupying the strictly range land. In former days stock 

 of all kinds ranged over the native fields summer and winter, but the 

 increase in agriculture has made feeding profitable. This has a ten- 

 dency to reduce the area of individual farm holdiugs and increase the 

 number of small farmers. The result has been a steady and perman- 

 ent growth of small farm yields and values and the making of a great 

 agricultural state. 



A general increase in irrigation interests marks the present year 



