THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



337 



largely imported. It is estimated that at least five 

 million dollars annually go out of the State for vegeta- 

 bles, fruit, dairy, poultry and hog products, which 

 ought to be produced within the State. It is the old 

 story of the man with five thousand head of cattle, who 

 was buying his butter and bacon and eggs at the nearest 

 market town. 



The reports of the Agricultural Department of the 

 Government show that the soil of Montana, under irri- 

 gation, will produce a larger amount than in any other 

 state ; add to this the advantages of voracious home 

 markets and the benefits that will follow the working 



crops without the aid of irrigation. Valley and bench 

 lands in Fergus County, for instance, grow forty-five 

 bushels of wheat per acre, without irrigation. Vegeta- 

 bles and other crops are as successfully raised in that 

 section and in others. In the Flathead country, in the 

 extreme northwestern corner of the State, as fine fruit 

 as can be found in the world is grown, with immense 

 crops of grain and vegetables and hay. In the famous 

 Bitter Root Valley fine fruit and vegetables are grown, 

 and in the Galatin Valley the finest wheat and barley 

 in the world are produced, with immense crops of hay 

 and alfalfa. The latter yields three crops a year, aggre- 



IGATION CONGRESS, PORTLAND, OREGON. 



of an irrigated farm in this State are evident. There 

 are in the State, as the result of private enterprise 

 nearly a million acres of land that have been reclaimed, 

 and the fortunate owners of these acres have nothing to 

 complain of. They are prosperous to a degree. It must 

 not appear from this that the State of Montana is en- 

 tirely arid. There are hundreds of thousands of acres 

 in different sections of the State that grow bounteous 



Photo by Kiser Photographic Co., Portland, Oregon. 



gating five tons to the acre, selling in the stack at from 

 $3.50 to $4.50 per ton, yielding to the grower a fine 

 profit. 



An immense trade has been built up by the farmers 



Delegates or others who desire copy of group photograph 

 shown on this page will receive fine unmounted copy, postage 

 paid, by sending $1.50 to the Kiser Photographic Company, 

 Portland, Ore. 



