Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-14
ur,n,s IRRIGATED FARMS.

Of arid lands la Utah has arrived. IL
comes ut an oppoftuue moment, inas'
much as the Irrigation Congress. opens
a three-days' session here tomorrow.
Utah being tn. nrst and most sue
cessful Of the western Territories
In adopting the irrigation plan Tor re-
claiming desert lands, the results of
her labor Ia this respect should have n
peculiar Interest 10 the men Of other
States and Territories who have come
here 10 discuss this important subject.
The census bureau Of necessity con-
ancs IL report 10 present conditions, or
thoso existing In 1890, walvlng the long
years Of labor aud expense passed
through In reaching this high state Of
progress In the irrigation science.
In the census year 1899 there was
cultivated In Utah upon the Irrigation
plan a03, sI3 acres, or tfiilc over i've.
tonths u one per cent. Of the entire
ARIA Of the Territory. That acreage,
which was about nine-ten tbs u the
total amount under cultivation, was
divided into g,59i arms. which there.
fore had an average If tweniy.soven
acres each. There were, NJ reported
by the census office, In the Territory
five irrigated farms Of ga acres or
more, ~ farms from a2O Ia go, aud o.
from 100 10 a2l. These sa farm. en-.
brace 10 per cent Of the Irrigated land.
The entire balance was divided into
holdings that averaged but IS acres
each. This Il an important point, the
Significance Of which Is madc very
clear Ia a comparison Of the Utah TO
port with that OF Wyoming which nc.
companies 1t. Speaking Of Utah the
bulletln say,:
"rhc average slEr 81 tho irrigated
farms. or, more strictly, Of those portions
Of farms on which irrigation Il practlced,
IL twonty.seyen acres. The average first
cost OF water right il sos per acre. aud
tho average cost OF preparing tho soil for
cultivation. including IA. purchase price
of the land, Is SOLO pee acre. Tho aver
age present value Of tho Irrigated land Of
the Torrliory, including buildings, cic.,
Is reported rs sstei per acre, showing an
apparent profit, less cost Of buildings, OF
$3.50 per acre. Tho average annual cost
Of water IN D,ol por acre, which deducted
from the average annual value Of pro-
ducts per acre, leave, an average annual
return Of ~. " per acre"
Following Is the parallel report from
Wyoming:
The average slzo Of tho Irrigated
farms, or, moro strictly. of Irrigated por.
tons ~ farms on which crops were raised,
II llg acres. The average nr,, cost u
water right l. Si61 pcr acrc, and the
average cost Of preparing the soil Tor cnl.
tvaiion, including tho purchase price OF
the land, Is So.is por acre. Tho average
present value Of the irrigated land Of the
State, Including buildings, ETC., 1. report.
oil a. sli.io per acre, showing an appar-
ent profit, les, cost Of build ngs, of $3.50
per acre. Tho average annual cost OF
water sO.iipor acre, which deducted from
the average annual value II product. por
acre, leave. nm average annual return Of
t7.sl pcr acre"
In comparing the counties Of Utah In
relation 10 the acreage value Of crops,
Il Is observed tina, Davis aud Wash.
ington take the lead with q crop valu.
alton Of s32.9i and si2.l0 per aero 70.
spectlvely. San Juan aud Salt Lake
follow at s97.9j aud 5000. Then comes
Weber at S92.72, Utah at s22 80, anu
kaneat s2l 81, Grand and Morgan stand
fl0.05 and Sls,ld Emery, Box Elder,
Sanpete, summit, Iron, Willard,
Tooele, aud Cache, are reported with
m average crop value of sl7.OO down
to slAa0, The remaining counties
run from .ll.Gi to 5000
rhe census reporter has gone To some
lahor In comparing thecrop values from
the Utah lands and the average size
Of her farms with those Of Arizona anu
New Mexico, aud la. reached the same
fattering result la Us,h's favor ~ has
been presented In tho comparison with
Wyoming.
The bulletin throughout makes q
splendid showing Tor the people Of thl.
Territory. on the difficulties attend.
ing the early labors here the report
says;
"rho average hrst cost OF water rlgh'
In Utah, NO,ii por acre Is notlcoabiy
great, bong largely due To tho manner In
which the dltcha, aud canals were made.
Nearly all were laid out and constructed
by farmers of ordinary education wiihou.
tho use Of surveying instruments. As
consequence, few Of the moro Important
works laid out In this manner have
proved sorylceable without great change,
Involving in many instances the recon.
strucIion OF almost tho entire system
The perseverance, shown In many u'
these casos Is remarkable, Time angf
time structure has boon built only tn Dr.
destroyed In year or two. Dlyortin.
dams have boon placed, at an enormou
outlay OF time and inlor Ia rIvnr,