The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-29
STATISTICS OF IRRIGATION
A Subject Which Is Of Great Interest
to the Citizens Of Mon
tana.
The Crops Which Are Raised by
Artificial Application OF
Water.
Investments In the SYSTEMS and What
They Cost and What They Win
Produce.

The latest bulletin of the ceusus bureau
devoted to irrigation in the western United
States, prepared by J. Hyde, special agent,
ia of a great deal of interest to Montana
According to it, of the LA, sos farms enum-
Grated in the arid region in June, 1890, 81,
584, or AZ. 10 per cent, contained land or
which crops were raised in 1889 by the arti-
fioial application of water, the entire area
of land irrigated being s. 564,416 acres, 20. Il
per cent of the total area of the 90. 5S4 irri-
gated farms, 9.66 per cent of the total area
of the whole number of farms enumerated,
and about one-half OF one per cent of the
total land area of the arid region. To this
must be added 1852 farms. containing Co.
965 acres irrigated, in the western parts OF
North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, and Texas. designated. for con-
venience, the subhumld region, where irri-
CATION is slowly making its way, as a method
of agriculture always advantageous but not
always absolutely necessary.
TIL average value of the land irrigated in
1889. with the improvements thereon, is
found to be $685. % per acre, and the average
value OF products for the year stated $l4.S9
per acre. BY correspondence with over
&c 1000 %irrigators, fairly distributed through
the arid and subhumid regions, it has been
ascertained that the average first cost OF
irrigation is S. Is per acre, and the average
value placed upon the water rights, whore
separsble from the land, $3.50 per acre, or
over three times their original cost. The
average annua expenditure for water. as
distinguished from the purchase of water
,zhkr - r1 NJ ,ov ora a~l $ln
cost of the original preparation of the
ground for cultivation, including the pur-
chase of the lax at the government rate of
&1.25 per acre, is $12.12 per acre. By ap-
plying, with necessary notifications, to the
enumerators' returns the averages obtained
for each separate state and territory. it has
been found that in round number the total
investment in productive irrigation sys-
TENS utilized in 1889, in whole or in
part, was up to June ], 1890, $29. gil, 900.
Their value at that date was
1914, 412, 600. showing an apparent profit of
$64, S01, 600, or 21S.S4 per cent. In the same
manner the aggregate first cost of the irri-
gated areas. with their water rights, not
including the farms of the subhumid
states, has been ascertained to be S77, 49,
600, and the value of the same on June l,
1890. S296, $50. 900, showing an increase in
the value of land and water rights of $2l9.-
$50, coo. or 2S3. 08 per cent. In other words,
the land irrigated i'll 1889 was worth nearly
four times what IL cost, no allowance evil
IDENTITY being made for failures. The total
expenditure for water, including the main
tenanoe and repairs of bitches in the arid
states in 1889 was $3t794, 600. and the total
value of products $53, OBJ, 600.
The number of artesian wells used in ir-
Rigation in the arid and subhumid regions
in June, 1890, was 1880, constructed at an
average cost per we'll of $245.5S and giving
an average discharge OF SAB gallons per
minute. The area of land thus irrigated,
averaging IL. q acres per we'll, amounted to
81 1886 acres, or LAB per cent of the total
area of irrigated land in the arid and sub
humid regions.
Within the arid and subhumid regions in
the western half of the United States there
were irrigated In the census year ended
May 81, 1890, 3.63l,3S1 acres, or 1914 3
square miles, approximately four-tenths of
one per cont of the total land area west of
tbs Tooth meridian. Of this irrigated area
Co., 81 per cent was devoted to the raising of
various kinds of forage. Til total number
of irrigators was 81, 1876, or, more correctly,
this was the aggregate number of farms or
agricultural holdings upon which crops
were raised by means of irrigation. The
average size of such portions of farms as
were actually irrigated was almost exactly
biAby-SSVeu hCTtS. llls IN VIC T6SulE Cd
tanned by dividing the total area irrigated
by the total number OF holdings. This
acreage is large, from the fact that IN MANY
of the states of the far west large areas of
hay lands are flooded, little care or atten-
tion being bestowed upon them. This
ls notably the case in Nevada and Wyo-
ming, and to a less extent in Montana and
Colorado. The average value of the pro-
ducts of this irrigated land was $14.89 per
acre, this being the quotient obtained by
dividing the total value of all products
sold. consumed, or on Eand' in 1889 by
the number of acres irrigated. There is an
apparent tendency among farmers not only
to underestimate the value of their pro-
duets, especially such as are consumed on
the farm, but also to overestimate the acre
age irrigated. AS a result the value of pro
duets per acre, obtained as above stated, is
considerably less than returns popularity
supposed to be obtained from irrigated
lands.
In 1889 there were in Montana 3,706 farm
ers, who irrigated $50, 5S2 acres of land, the
average value of theft products being $12. SO
per acre. The total number of farms in
Montana are placed at 8. 664, containing a
total Of l,520, S53 acres. OF the /, 1854 farms,
3, TOO are irrigated, or $50, 5S2 acres. In a
list OF ten counties in the arid re-
gion containing the largest proportion OF
lands upon which crops were raised by irri-
CATION In 1889, Boulder county, Col. leads,
with 10. 10 per cent. The largest proportion
of irrigated farms to the total number Is
found In Utah. and the smallest in Wash
lnqton.
The total value of the irrigated farms in
Montana is placed at $l7, 354, 900, their aver
age value per acre $40. 80; the total value of
the crops In 1889, 81, 544. 0OO, and the aver
age value OF the latteAper acre $12. 96. The
report places the number of farms in Mon
fane in 1859 under 100 acres at 3,130, and
the number containing moro than 100 acres
at SIG, The average first cost of water
in Montana per acre ID placed at
S4.63; in California, 1925; in Colorado,
$7.15; In Idaho. $4.74; in Utah, $40, 30. The
lowest average is in Wyoming, 1852. The
average value of water rights per acre in
Montana is placed at $l5.04; in Colorado.
&2S. As; in Utah, 1854; in Wyoming, $3.50.
The highest annual cost of water per acre 10
in California, SLIGO; the lowest in Wyom-
ing, A cents. III Montana it is placed at
90 cents.
The total coat of productive irrigation
systsms in Montana is placed at 81. 623. 600.
in California $l3, 005, 900, in Colorado Sc
369, 900. Their value in 1890 u is estimated in
Montana at So, 273, 900, in California S39.-
446 900, in Colorado $l8. 98l, 600. The first
cost of irrigated areas, including water
rights, in Montana is placed at 4,968, 600. |
while their value in 1890 is estimated al
S17, 1854, 900. The average cost per mile of
constructing irrigatinR canals in the state
ID set down at 1926 for bitches under FIVE
feet in width, $500 for those five to ten feet
wide, 81, 300 for those ten feet or oye-.
Montana is credited with fourteen srte-i
sian wells. with an average depth of BEG