The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-29
COST AND WORTH OF IRRIGATION.
The Value Impaired to Land in the West
by Abundant Water supply,

The Value Impaired to Land in the West
by Abundant Water supply,
There can be no doubt of the none
value of irrigation to agriculture, writes Il.
NJ. Wilson,, in an article on THE Irrigation
Problem in the West" in the current num-
Der of The Engineering Magazine. Farm
ing with the aid of irrigation is moro lucra-
tive, though more expensive, than farming
in the humid regions without 1T. The FIRST
cost of the land without the water supply
is dependent very much on the locality. 1t
ranges from S1.25 per acre, the government
price where land Is abundant, as in Mon
tana, Idaho, Arizona and generally through
the west, to from $40 to S25 per
acre, where the crops and land are more
valuable, as in portions of Colorado, Utah
and California. The average cost per acre
of developing an irrigation plant ranges be-
tween S. in Idaho, Montana and Washing
ton, and 80 to S15 in Utah. Colorado and
California, averaging about So per acre for
the arid region. The average annual cost
of applying water per acre-in other words.
the annual average water rental paid by the
rmer-rang between 70 cents and 81,
reaching in some portions of southern Cali
IOClld hS ilkH q . DIV POI aO1S. WV "a
prepnration of the land for cultivation,
which embraces clearing. blowing and
building bitches, is between IS and Sl5 per
acre, thus making, according to the census
returns, the average value of the irrigated
land, including buildings, range between
$50 and 500 ger acre. Yet with this small
cost land in California is valued sometimes
as high as $1,000 per acre, and in other
portions of the west it is always several
times the actual cost of it's purchase and
preparation.
Against this cost we find that the annual
average value of the products per acre OF
irrigated land ranges between $l5 in the
northern and western states. and S25 to $40
per ucre in Utah and Colorado. TO from $50
to 81. 600 per acre in California and south
ern Arizona. The actual value of the re,
turns from irrigation 10 much greater IL
many cases; it is sometimes less, according
TO the intelligence and enterprise of the
cultivator. We hear marvellous tales of the
valuo of orchard products in southern Cali
fornia, yet astounding as are many OF these
some of them are we'll within the truth. l
is not an unusual thing TO ses q we'll tended
orchard produce returns of from $500 t.
$500 per acre, while grain and vegetable
crops in other parts of the west yield pro
~portionately large returns. The dispsrit
between irrigated and non-irriEated land
seems at frat glance too great, ye
this disparity is a result c
the scarcity of water and II
consequent value. We find land in Cali
foruia which is valued at from S5 to s.
} per acre for sheep raising purposes whe
there ls no water supply in prospect, b'
let the same land be so situated that the
ID a possibility OF developing o water-sul
a ply, and it's value is found at once 10
$50 or even $50 ger acre; add the water suI
= ply and it IS worth from $500 TO $1,000 p
, acre. Such prices would not be paid al
o could not be asked if the returns did n
warrant them. California ia used as
single example. In Montana lane tn
Il without water ia worth perhaps $3.50 p
acre is worth with water from $40 to {
= per acre, and between these two extrem
the values vary in the arid west.