The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-15

sSO~SeSese
elsewhere. allowed politics instead Of the
good Of the order to rule. Mcbride vas
sustained By vote Of l5o to Ia
IRRIGATION IN WASHINGTON.
stssisties Gathered By sAs Census Bu-
fsas Hardly Up - Dsts.
The census once has issued . bulletin
on irrigation in 1890. which il Of compare
lively small value - regards Washington.
since irrigation was then in its infancy in
this state.
OF the Ia. sos farms enumerated in the
aid region in June. 1890, 1854. or AIS
per cent, contained land on which crops
were raised in 1859 BY the artificial appli.
cation. Of water. the entire AREA Of land
irrigatsd being $3.50. 4l6 acres, 9Q72 per
cent ofthe total area of the s., 564 irrigated
farms, 066 per cent. Of the total area of
the whole number of farms enumerated,
and abont one-half Of per cent of the
total area Of the arid region. To this must
be added 1,552 farms, containing 66.965
acres irrigated, in the western parts OF
North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas and Texas, designated, for con-
venience, the suhhumid region, where
irrigation is slowly making its way, a. .
method of agriculture always advan-
tageous but not always absolutely neces-
sary.
The average value of the land irrigated
In 1889. with the improvements thereon.
u found to be $6a8 per acre, and tho aver
age value of tho products for the year
stated $1480 per acre. By correspondence
with over 10000 irrigators, fairly distri-
buted through the arid and subhumid re-
Rions, 1t has been ascertained that the
average first cost Of irrigation is $815 per
acre and the average valus placed upon
the water rights, where separabls from the
land, SO per acre, or over three times their
original cost. The average annual expen-
diture for water, q distinguished from the
purchase of water rights, is SLOT per acre,
and the average cost of the original pre-
paration Of the ground for cultivation,
including the purchase Of the land at the
government rate of 81. Is per acre, is $l2l2
per acre. By applying, with necessary
notifications, to the enumerators' returns
the average obtained for each separate
state and territory, it has been found that
in round numbers the total investment in
productive irrigation systems utilized in
1889. in whole or in part, was up to June
l, 1880, $2961l. 900. Their value ct that
date was $94. ~, 600. showing an apparent
profit of $6A. s0l. 900. or 2la.A per cent In
the same manner tho aggregate first
cost of the irrigated areas. with
their water rights, not including the
farms Of the subhumid states, has been
ascertained to b 81. 490. 900. and the value
of the same on June l, 1880. $296 So, coo,
showing an increase in the value Of land
per cent. In other wordA the land irri.
gated in 1889 was worth nearly four times
what it cost, no allowance evidently being
made for failures. The total expenditure for
water, including the maintenance and re-
pairs of bitches, in the arid states in 1889,
was $. 794 900, and the total value of prod
ucts SIS, O57, 900.
The number Of artesian wells used in ir-
rigation in the arid and subhumid regions
in June, 1880, was 1850, constructed at an
average cost per well of SPAS. IS, and giving
an average discharge of SAB gallons per
minute. The area Of land thus irrigated,
averaging 1921 acres per well, amounted
to 81. $50 acres, or L43 per cent. Of the total
area OF irrigated land in the arid and sub
humid regions.
Washington had l ,046 irrigators in 1889,
the area watered being q. 100 acres, the
average sizes of irrigated farms Al acres.
the average value of products per acre
$17.O9. California leads in the extent Of
irrigated lands, and Washington is last,
of rank: California, l,OO4,233 acres;
Colorado, $50. 1876: Montana, $50, $50;
Utah, 263 473; Wyoming, 229,676; Nevada,
ga, 4O3; Idaho, 2l7OO5; Oregon, III, 844;
New Mexico. 9l.745; Arizona, 65,S2l;
Washington, ass, 799.
The largest proportion of irrigated farms
to the total number is found in Utah,
where over nine-tenths of the agricultural
holdings contain irrigated areas. Tho
smallest proportion is in Washington, the
thirteen eastern counties of which, al.
though regarded as being in part, if not
wholly. within tho arid region, contain
relatively . small number of irrigated
tenth of the total number of farms
Of the Washington irrigated lands q. $50
acres, or 67.90 per cent, was used for
forage, and on 20, 500 acres, or 42.O1 per
cent, cereals were grown. The average
value Of the land was $50 per acre; total
value. 81. 10000. The value of the pro-
ducts averaged $lzO9; total value, 1884,
600. OF the Washington irrigated farms
99A were of less than l6O acres. 50 contained
more than l6O acres, So more than 16O and
less than go acres, II more than $50 and
less than $40 acres, and contained an av.
erage Of 92s acres. The average first cost
of bringing water to the arid land has
been S. Is per acre, while Washington paid
only $i.03. less than any other state; Cali
fornia paid $i295 The average value of
water rights in Washington was $13 Is per
acre; average annual cost Of water per
acre, IS cents; average first cost of cuiti-
walton per acre, $l0.27. The total cost of
the Washington irrigation systems was
$40, 900: value in 1890, $642, 900; increase
$if5, 600 The first cost OF the irrigated
areas in Washington was $759. COO;
value on June /, 1890, $2,44O,OOO;
increase. $1.6sl, CO. The total cost Of
water and maintaining bitches in WASH
ington in 1Ss99o was $4,000; value of
products 1889. $4,000; difference, $751;.
coo. The average cost per mile of con-
structing Washington bitches was: Un-
der hive feet wide. $2s5; tive to ten feet
wide, 81. 236; ten feet wide and over, $275
The total number of artesian wells used
for irrigation during the census year has
been ascertained to be $3.50. furnishing
water for 81, $50 acres, or l.43 per cent Of
the total area irrigated. The total num-
Der of artesian wells upon farms IN June,
1880, in the fourteen states and territories
forming the western part of the United
States was S,O97. The average depth was
2l0. IL feet. the average cost $245.5S and the
average discharge 54.4S gallons per min
ute, irrigating Is q acres per well. Wash
ington In 1880 had nine artesian wells,
with an average depth of l27 feet; average
cost per well, 1912: average discharge per
minute, eighty-nine gallons.
Lnther Turned Loose. Again.