Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-16
9lf Daily 4.rsss ssa 1alsntsa
tAkSIoh DAKOTA
THE DESERT LANDS.

the DESERT LANDS.
A Kchem for their Reelssna,son bv ahs
Cse Of Artsstsn Wells.
Special telegram 10 the Chicago Inter. Ocean.
Washington, Feb. l2.-The senate com.
mittee on public lands hss reported favors.
bly, a bill, which will no doubt be passed, 10
authorize and pay the expenses of en- expe.
riment TO see whether the arid lands Of the
west cannot be made fertile and irrigated by
~ar.esian wells. The bill provided: "That
with a view 10 the reclamation of the arid
and waite lands in certain western states and
territories, the secretary OF the interior In
hereby authorized TO contract for the sinking
Of five a~rtesian wells; of said wells To BE-
sunk on the plains east of the Rocky noun.
tains, and three of them to be sunk vest Of
the Rocky mountains. The eaid wells are
TO be sunk at such places a. the secretary Of
the interior may designate. Any party
making q contract to sink an artesian we'll.
under this act. shall, at the end of each
week after the work shall have been begun,
tile with the secretary Of the interior . re-
port containing a statement of the character
of the ground or rock through which the
veil is sunk, giving the thickness of the
strata of each formation, and he shall fur.
dish samples of all the different materials
through which the we'll is sunk, and con-
form with all the regulations made BY the
secretary of the interior. The sum of $50
QUO ia hereby appropriated to carry out the
objects of this bill, the same to be disbursed
under such rules and regulations az the
secretary of the interior shall prescribe"
The report of the committee, which gives
the reasons for the passage of the bill. was
written by Senator Hill. of Colorado, who
Is ar experienced chemist, 40 we'll 40 q
practical man, having been professor Of
chemistry in Brown university for many
years. The report says:
Eight hundred million acres Of land are
embraced in The arid region of the United
States. Within this vast tract are the terri
cries of Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New
Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and the states of
Colorado and Nevada. Portions of other
states and territories are also included,
Not l per cent Of this territory has been
sold by the United States, and it must re-
main unsold Tor years to come unless some
neans are found I supply 1t with water.
From surveys made oy the government OF
portions OF this territory, and estimates
made Of the remaining portions. It has
oeen determined that about 200 ,00O, 900 OF
acres are broken and mountainous lands
where. even with an abundance Of water
agriculture canno be carried on successful
ly. There are about zoe, OOO, 600 Of acres
more made up Of:
l. Lava lands. which are covered with
cinder. scoris, etc.
2. Bad lands without or au.. vegeta-
ton.
3. Deser. plains of barren ami drifting
sand.
This leaves US of the lands Of the prea,
plains and valleys 500. 1000 600 of acres, on
a large part of which valuable CROPS could
be raised if water were supplied for irriea.
ton.
Many thousand acres have already beer
reclaimed BY utilizing the waters of river
and streams, and spreading them over the
land during the period of the growth of the
crops. But owing to the limited supply o.
water which can be made available from
these sources, under the most favorable con.
ditions, probably not more than 3.per cent
of these 500, 600, 900 acres can be reclaimed
What use can be made of the remaining
4O5, 600, 900 acres? They are not, it 10 true
entirely valueless; they are DOW, and will
be hereafter, used still more for pastursge
lands; but they can never, to any great ex-
tent, be sold for this purpose. The growth
of grass is 90 scanty that it requires from IF.
teen to twenty-five acres for the support Of
each head of meat cattle; and many thous.
and acres are situated from so to 100 miles
from living water, and are thus unavailable
even for pasturage. But little will ever be
realized by the government from the sale Of
these lands, until it is demonstrated tia,
water can be supplied by artesian wells.
In the state of Colorado alone, in the
great plains east of the Rocky Mountains,
are 100000 acres of land. Much of il
will produce, if irrigated, twenty-five to
thirty bushels Of wheat per acre.
1t is in view Of the facts which have beer
given that congress is asked to %appropriat,
$4,000 for boring arteslan wells. Private
enterprise will not undertake the work
which is Of an experimental character, q
the land is all owned by the government
but let it be demonstrated that water can b.
supplied in this way and citizens will pur
chase the land of the government. and we'll
| will be bored BY individuals and corpora
lions, and in time vast tracts of land vii
thereby be reclaimed.
CuOulu VIC IOuuu tudt dIIcsl0O wei
water can be made available, these laode,
from being the most barren Oh the CONT
nent, will become the most attractive Il
farmers. Their crops would not be subjec
to the vicissitudes of rainfall and drought
the chances of failure of crops would b
greatly diminished, and the interest I.
agricultural pur : uits 10 that section woul,
be immensely stimulated.
Although these lands are as unproductiv
as much of the land which has been grant
ed to the other states under the swamp Ian
acts, no grant has been made to the state
where the arid lands are situated to aid !
their reclamation. Had this been don
there would have been no occasion for a
appropriation for the purpose of BORN
arteeiao wells. Thus aided the states an
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