Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-05-13

PArrFrr, IDAihiao, iia May !, issss.

i :. PAfrfrr, IDAiHs1o, May :, 1899.
| EDITOR RrprIUBLrcAN.-Had I not
lproMiaed to write yoaA letter, the
time occcap1sd in wwfiting H.. Would,
no doubt, ~ spent in limiting and
fshing. This Is q glsat c6ahtry
for game. II Is no tfoubie to Shoot
wild ducks and geese. Sage hens
and rabbits are found here in abund.
ance. Sage hens are about as large
as oar chickens and are very good
eating. Jack rabbits are more
numerous than the small gray
species also found in Pennsylvania.
Larger game-snch as deer, elks
and bear, are found further back on
the mountains. The Payette and
Snake Rivers swarm with fish such
as the salmon, sturgeon, black bass,
suckers, eels, white fish and others
whose names l have not been able to
learn. The sturgeon and salmon
are the largest. Salmon are caught
that weigh two and three hundred
pounds. Sturgeon are still larger
Ole was caught in the Snake River
that weighed 81 800 pounds. Ate,
trying in vain to drag him out with
a team of horses, they landed him
with switch engine. This is no
fish story but fact. The Snake
River at Payette, is about as wild
as the branches of the Susquehanna,
at Towanda, or Williamsport, but
much deeper, being from Is to &c
feet in depth. The current is swift !;
the color of the water is generally
clear. The water rises gradually
from March until June or July,
when it Reaches tie highest waite,
mark. This is caused by the melt
ing ofsnow on the mountains. The
Payette River rises among the
mountains in the central part OF
Idaho. 1t is not quite as large as
the Snake, but contains a large
volume of water. 1t is not near as
low as the Snake and it is from this
river that they get the water for
irrigation.
There is not much irrigation on
the Snake River as it is too expen-
sive to get the water on the land. In
time, no doubt, much of the land
which'is little more than desert land
will be opened for cultivation.
Payette Valley; which extends along
the Payette River and part of Snake,
is about so miles long and from S
to II miles wide. Much of the land
on the Payette is under cultivation
and about 80 or 40 thousand acres
more will be opened this summer.
The main canal which will open this
new scope of land is about 80 miles
long and was let by contract last
week for $3.50, ,O90 to some Colorado
parties. IL is to be completed BY
the lst of September 1t is to be
fourteen feet wide at the bottom ol
the bitches. The land that can be
improved by this canal has all been
taken up, and many persons who
filed on whole sections are offered
three and four thousand dollars for
their rights. No doubt this land
will become very valuable in few
years. There is no finer or better land
to be found any where than this.
The soil is from tour to six feet.
1t is just inclosed enough for per-
feet irrigation. The water right
will cost $40, per acre or half the
land and 75c per acre each year for
all land under actual cultivation.
This land produces everything that
can be grown in the United States
except tropical and semitropical
fruits. The leading products are
wheat, fruit and hay. The average
yield of wheat per acre is 80 and 40
bushels. II is second to no place in
northern part OF the United States
in the production of hay, They
NOW their meadows two and three
times a year-cutting four and five
tons per acre, Their principal hay and
grass is alphalfa. 1t looks very
much like clover, only it grows fast
er and taller. Every one here says
IL is better for cattle than clover,
having better fattening qualities.
There is also a great deal OF clover
and timothy raised here. The
alphalfa is from IL to Is inches
high, aud clover from 0 to h inches
at this date. And without ANY ex.
aggeration eau say the vegetation
"a n whala WAS fulher advaueal