16 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



VARIOUS PROJECTS ALONG GREAT NORTHERN 

 RAILWAY LINES 



Valuable Information for Prospective Settlers 



Montana, the third largest state in the Union, offers 

 the landseeker an unlimited number of opportuniites for 

 home making. At the present time the homeseeker may 

 acquire a tract of good farming land by purchase or by 

 exercising his homestead right and commence to lay the 

 foundation for a career of independence, comfort and per- 

 haps wealth. Every day, knowledge of the opportunities 

 which exist in this wonderful state is spreading and every 

 day new settlers are moving into the state and establish- 

 ing themselves on the fertile land. Land values are in- 

 creasing rapidly, in fact, the last five years have witnessed 

 an increase in value of land from $5.00 to $25.00 per acre. 

 They who investigate and take advantage of the oppor- 

 tunities now will profit by the increase in land values as 

 well as receive the benefit in the meantime of the produc- 

 tivity of the soil. 



Montana Irrigation Projects 



In addition to the free homestead land and land in 

 private ownership, the homeseeker may acquire land on 

 the irrigation projects in this state by complying with the 

 homestead laws. The United States Reclamation Act of 

 June 17, 1902, provides for the creation of a fund from 

 each state in the so-called semi-arid belt for the construe- 



thereof, to get water from the government project, must 

 sell down his holdings to the unit acre prescribed by the 

 government, and pay his share per acre of the cost of 

 construction; also, be a bona-fide resident of the land. 



An annual charge for maintenance is made, in addition 

 to the cost of construction. This is usually about fifty cents 

 per acre the first year, and may be reduced somewhat for 

 subsequent years. The occupant of the land is required to 

 cultivate at least one-half of the irrigable area in his 

 farm, and the charges for maintenance are apportioned 

 upon the actual amount of land in his holdings, irre- 

 spective of the acreage under cultivation. 



To assist the landholder who is not familiar with irri- 

 gation, the government and, in some cases, the Water- 

 Users' Association maintains experimental farms for the 

 purpose of instructing the farmers in the best methods of 

 treating the soil. 



Water-Users' Association 



Immediately upon the opening of an irrigated tract to 

 settlement, a Water-Users' Association is formed. The 

 Government Reclamation Service operates the irrigation 

 system until the greater part of the cost of constructing 

 the works is paid up by the settlers, after which title to 

 same passes over to the association. Shares in the Water- 

 Users' Association are issued to the members in amounts 

 corresponding with the acres of land they own in the 

 project. The water-rights are, of course, inseparably as- 

 sociated with the land. 



Farm Home in Lower Yellowstone Valley, Montana. 



tion of irrigation projects on a large scale within those states. 

 The fund for prosecuting this great work is accumulated 

 from the sale and disposal of public lands. 



Methods of United States Reclamation Service 



Briefly told, the United States Reclamation Act, ol 

 Tune 17, 1902, provides for the creation of a fund from each 

 state in the so-called semi-arid belt for the construction of 

 irrigation projects on a large scale within those states. 

 The fund for prosecuting this great work is accumulated 

 from the sale and disposal of public lands. 



The United States Reclamation Service constructs the 

 projects and puts the settlers on the land when it is ready 

 for crops. The land is divided up into farm units, ranging 

 from 40 to 160 acres in size. The settler files on the land 

 in accordance with the homestead laws of the United 

 States, paying the government his proportion of the actual 

 cost of constructing the irrigation system. This construc- 

 tion cost varies, ranging from $30.00 to $35.00 per acre, and 

 up. Ten years are granted the settler in which to pay 

 this cost, payment being made in ten annual installments, 

 the first installment being paid when filing on the land. 

 No interest is charged on the unpaid cost. Frequently, 

 some of the land under a government project is in private 

 ownership, in which case, of course, none of the pro- 

 visions of the homestead laws apply, except that the owner 



Carey Act Projects 



The Carey Act, passed by the United States Congress 

 in 1894, is another potent factor in the irrigation and peo- 

 pling of vast stretches of rich agricultural land in Montana. 

 Its purpose was to induce the western states affected 

 thereby to inaugurate systems of irrigation on unappro- 

 priated government land through contracts with private 

 corporations or individuals. One million acres are available 

 in Montana for this purpose. Practically, 500,000 acres arc 

 now being developed. The state has effective laws for the 

 administration of this work, and its Carey Act Land Board 

 has direct supervision of the projects. Not more than 160 

 acres of irrigated land can be taken up by a single settler 

 under the Carey Act. Any citigen of the United States, or 

 anyone who has declared his intention to become a citizen, 

 is entitled to avail himself of this opportunity. Many 

 decided advantages are enjoyed by the settler in the work- 

 ing out of this law. 



The corporations constructing the projects contract 

 with the state for the irrigation of a certain tract of land, 

 the price to be charged to the settler by the company for 

 his water-right being agreed upon between the state offi- 

 cials and the construction company. Upon the completion 

 of the project, the government issues a patent to the state 

 for the land as it is settled upon, and, in turn, patent is 



