Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-09-12
HERBERT BROWN Manage,
IRRIGATION IN WYOMING

The bulletin prepared by +. ID.
Newell for the census Office, gives 3,245
az the number of farms in Wyoming; of
this number 1,917 raised crops by irri-
cation. The total of land embraced in
these 1917 farms is l,506,S50 acres of
which crops were raised by irrigation in
the year 1889. In addition to the irri-
gated area from which crops were cut or
gathered, there were approximately
240,OOO acres irrigated for grazing pur-
poses. The average size OF the irrigated
farms, or, more strictly, OF irrigated por-
tions of farms on which crops were
raised. is 119 acres. The average first
o ost Of water right is S3.62 per acre, and
the average cost of preparing the soil
for cultivation, including the purchase
price of the land, is s9.46 per acre. The
average present value Of the irrigated
land of the state, including buildings,
ETC., is reported as S3l.40 per acre, show
ing an apparent profit, less cost Of build
ings, OF $3.50 per acre. The average
annual cost Of water is S0.H per acre,
which deducted, from the average an
nual value Of products per acre, leaves
an average annual return OF S7.el per
scre.
The average first cost Of the entire
state of bringing water to the land is
estimated from the statements Of the
farmers themselves TO have beel 1852
per acre. This extremely low cost is
due to the fac. that there have been in
cluded many Of the so called high
water" bitches, which were built to O
large extent by plow and scraper in the
cheapest possible manner, bringing un-
der ditch comparatively large areas OF
hay land, upon which no further labor
for distributing the water WAS expend-
ed. 1t is also probable that in many in
stances the expense of laterals for dis
tributing the water was thrown into the
cost of preparing the land for cultivs-
tion. The averages, by counties, range
from S2.27 to $500 per acre. This is
the price which the water rights, il
transferable without the land, might be
expected to bring per acre.
The average annual expense OF main
tanning bitches, of repairing breaks IN
the headworks or main ditch, and OF
cleaning out sediment, wherever this is
deposited, is estimated by the farmers
at A cents per acre, the averages from
the different counties ranging from
26 cents to SLOT.
The average cost Of preparing the land
for cultivation, excluding the cost of
bringing the water thereto, but includ-
ing such items as plowing, breaking sage
brush, and fencing, as taken from the
statements of the iTrigators, was So.Z3
per acre. Assuming the government rate,
Sl25 per acre, as the original cost OF the
land, the cost Of preparing tie ground
as SS.23 per acre and the cost OK bring
ing the water TO che land as So. 62 per
aere, the total cost to the irrigator of
the tilled land was Sl3l0 cents per acre.
In comparison with this the estlmaUed
present value of the land Cd which crops
we're raised by irrigation, including
buildings, fences and other improve
ments, is placed at an average OF S3l.4O
per acre, showing an apparent profit,
less cost OF buildings, of $3.50 per acre.
The following comparisons are made
with Arizona which may be studied to
advantage not only by our proposed con-
stitution makers but also by everyone
interested in irrigation: