The Irrigation Problem mm Montana. 229 
itants it appear that the soil is very fertile, and that during 
‘average moist years excellent crops can be raised there without 
irrigation. This last statement, however, should not be too 
readily accepted. It is probable that some storage water may 
be retained in the hills along the British line, though its develop- 
ment will doubtless involve international questions. 
A GLANCE AT THE FUTURE. 
This interesting subject cannot be passed by without a little 
castle building, and accordingly an attempt will be made to 
show what the future of Montana may owe to irrigation. 
It has just been shown how and where 1,750,000 acres may be 
added to the area at present under cultivation ; many times this 
amount, however, can be reclaimed. Settled as closely as a large 
irrigated district would naturally be, these 1,750,000 acres will 
be increased by about 15 per cent. or 262,500 acres, the area 
which will be occupied by roads, buildings, and towns; that is 
to say over 2,000,000 acres will be rendered capable of sus- 
taining the highest degree of settlement, though in reality this 
amount will be much greater since a large portion of the land 
will not be directly irrigated, since it will indirectly receive 
sufficient moisture from the neighboring fields to render it ser- 
viceable for pasturage. 
It has been claimed by various authorities that a homestead of 
forty acres is abundant for the support of a family, assuming this 
estimate to be correct, then 2,000,000 acres will support 50,000 
families ; at five persons each this would give a farm population 
of 250,000. This number of farm workers would require a town 
and village population of one and one-half more, or our 2,000,000 
acres would add in all 375,000 people to the State. 
On the same basis the 18,000,000 acres which have been classi- 
fied as irrigable land, (and this estimate is below that of the 
Montana Society of civil engineers and other authorities), would 
support 3,120,000 inhabitants. 
