The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-12-03
OMclal Paper Of NORTH Yakima.
IRRIGAE7NG ARID LANDS IN THE
WEST.

uL nA1AY NAlgANAAA1N " AAaDAe aAAA~' ~
land In the western half Of the United
States, says the Scientific american.
which can DO probably cultivated only
with the aid Of some system Of irrigation
are now becoming more and more each
year the subject Of careful Investigation.
both by the government and BY private
parties. So much Of the readily available
and ordinarily good farm lands Of the
public domain has already been taken up
that prospectOrs In almost every section
are finding their choice limited 70 making
q selection in some place where more or
less irrigation will be 4 necessity, with
the promise Of q good reward therefor, or
the acceptance Of q location whore the dis
advantages more than outweigh the want
Of sufficient amount Of water. The won
deriul productive lands Of southern Caliior-
mia, where the rich soil isofsuch depth as to
be deemed practically inexhaustible, and
the climate is such that two and even
three crops can be raised In year, have
been made available almost exclusively
by irrigation, and there il no doubt that,
over alargs portion Of the lands now arid,
It needs but the efficient conservation and
distribution Of water flowing from adjacent
mountain ranges 10 create areas Of the
highest productiveness.
With the view Of promoting intelli-
gent work on . general system, this
matter has formed the subject Of ex-
tJnded Investigations by the United States
Geological Survey, although 1t is not pro-
posed that the government shall under
take 10 carry out irrigation projects at
the public expense, further than by
the allotment Of lands which may
he benefited thereby TO the state gov
ernments making such improvements.
A recent bulletin Of the census Office also
gives details Of what has been effected In
the way Of irrigation In Utah, where the
system was first generally applied and
has been longest In operation. In that
territory there was last year In crop an
Irrigated acreage Of 26S, 47S, about nine
tenths Of the farmers In the territory de-
pending upon irrigation in the cultivation
Of q least portion Of .neh JANUS 'ne 70.
naming tenth being either stock ranches
or farms where the eiimate u iess Al'u.
1ne averaee n.s. eCss y Ol,nsn ~ T'e
Usaer 10 land IN Otan = plaeeo ~ woo
per acre. considerably grea'er tnan "a.
been me case u most otner 'ocAn.e' -
the canals and ditcnes were seneiAny lAiI
and made BY farmers without tne use o.
surveying Instruments neceAli'A'ins
many subsequent changes IN some
cases, however the cost was eeloW ni'y
cents anncFe. In addition certain amount
must b expended each year IN nam
tanning the main ditches' cleaning out
sediment, and often renewing the dams
and head works, this cost ranging nom
twenty-five cents up TO three dollars an
acre, the average being ninty-one cents'
The average value OF the products on
small irrigated farms 10 1880 was w per
acre. II 10 estimated that the cost OIL pre-
pairing wild land for cultivation, Inc lud-
ing blowing, Tubbing. cutting brush
fencing and leVeling, averages ti4.so per
acre; adding TO this the government rates
Of n.26 per acre, and the first cost Of tlO'-
IS por acre for the water right, the entire
cost 10 the farmer averages t26.eo per
aere. In comparison with this, the e.
timated present value Of the farms Of the