The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-10-22
IRRIGATION At YAKIMA.
Another Big Scheme for Watering the
Parched Earth.
bitches For About $1,000 AeTes-.ThO
Manager Of the Yakima and Ken.
nIwiek Company ExP.
lalns HIS Plans.

Tacoma Ledger: yakima and Kenni-
wick Irrigation company" IL the name Of
the latest company formed for reclaiming
part Of the arid lands Of eastern WASH
ington. Their plan Is but recently devel-
oped and has not yet made public.
Vice-President and Manager C. Il. Lead
better Of Portland, in conversation with q
reporter Of the Ledger, gave the main facts
regarding their plan, as follows:
The company is Incorporated with
capital stock Of t25O,OOO and the follow
ing officers: President, L. II. simmons
Of New York; vice-president and man
ager, G. II. Ieadbetter Of Portland; sec
rotary, J. NJ. Jones Of Ohio; and treas
urer and consulting engineer, H. v.
Gates Of Portland. The latter gentle
men is well known In Tacoma as he Is often
here in connection with the business Of
the Union Pacific. The cOmpanyis form
ed to irrigate the lands Of the Del Haven
Irrigation company, and In addition to
irriSate lands Of their own. The Del
Heaven company has a tract Of 10000
acres Of land along the Columbia. This
land, together with about 5000 acres Of
their own, will ct once be given the wat
ter which makes 1t valuable.
The $1,000 acres which are to he irri-
gated lie along the Columbia river. It Is
about four miles wide and twenty-five
miles long, and on this side Of the river.
The water for irrigation will be obtained
from the Yakima river, a few miles above
the junction with the Columbia, and the
ditch will run substantially with the big
river. The main ditch will be sixteen
feet broad at the bottom, thirty-two feet
at the top and Eve feet deep. The sub
soil Is Of clay and will therefore hold
water. Beneath the clay is cemented
gravel. The work In the bitches will be
done by c. G. Stevenson & Bro, irrigation
engineers from California, who have just
completed the Nampa ditch for the Boise
City and Nampa Irrigation, Land and
LumbeF company. This ditch Is 100
miles in length, and has tributary to 1t
100000 acres Of land.
The land to be irrigated is entirely be-
low the surface Of the Yakima River, and
every acre can be reached by its waters.
Its low elevation alsa makes il mIlder in
climatea. Regarding its temperature, Mr..
Leadbetter says:
"You know what the Yakima county
can do2 Well, this land is little lower
and therefore little more equable and
warmer than Yakima. As the Yakima
country is one Of the finest fruit-produc-
ing countries In the world, so this will be
Just as fine or finer. About this point
there is no question, as all men who know
any thing about that country concede
that, when irrigated, II can produce as
much as any other.
"Work will begin by November LIST.
with eighty teams and over 100 men.
1t will be completed by Janury 81, 1892,
and next spring we will put in q crop.
This country is tributary to the Sound
country. being on the line Of the North.
eTn Pacific and on the upper side Of
the Columbia river. The current Of
the river is so swift that navigation is not
easy. 1t may therefore be assumed that
the main part Of the produce Of this irri.
gated country will come to the Sound
cities.
"what irrigated land will do does not
need much further illustration, but Mr..
Jones Of our company had very good
fortune with his Idaho farms, which
amount to several hundred thousand Of
acres. Last year he planted wheat In
June which yielded forty bushels to the
acre. Fruits Of nearly all kinds grow
readily, and II they will do this in Idaho
where his farms are, they certainly will
grow In Yakima country where the ele-
walton is 30 much less"
Mr.. Leadbetter states that the capital
for the enterprise is mostly from the east
and that they will put 1000 acres in grain
next March.