The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-31
BE WISE TO-DAY
NOTION Department

grazing There are, however, many
valleys where the climate is similar to
that of Eastern Colorado and is highly
favorable TO the success OF ordinary
crops. Probably the best farming lands
are those in the southeastern part,
along the Platte, and on the northern
border in the valleys east of the Big
Horn range. There are, however, vast
tracts of land still in the hands of the
general government, especially in the
Big Horn basin, to which water can be
taken at moderate expense"
The vacant public lands of Utah
amount to 43,077,120 acres, or about
four-fifths of the total area of the
state "A great part of them" Mr..
Newell says, consist of mountain
ranges or elevated plateaus, gashed by
gorges and canyons In such way that
they are almost inaccessible and as
rule they are In a climate so arid that
nothing can be raised without the APP
plication of water Disregarding areas
the soil of which is too rocky for Guilt
walton, there still remain enormous
areas of unknown extent, the reclaim
ability of which depends wholly upon
the question of water supply. The use
of stored water for the reclamation of
arid lands is still somewhat matter
of conjecture as to financial results.
The only known successful projects on
a
ifornia. where the value of the product
is exceptionally large, so that it is i'm
possible to predict with any degree OF
certainty the proportion of flood waters
which can be utilized profitably."
oregon has 35,767,6s0 acres of vacant
public land, about three-fifths of the
area of the state. THE greater part of
the vacant land" Mr.. Newell says, lis
within the great interior basin, the
streams of which do not have sufficient
volume to cut their way to the ocean.
They flow for a short distance from
their sources among the mountains,
and gradually dry up or flow into some
lake or marsh, from which the water is
eVaporated. The supply is very small
in comparison with the land to be sup
piled, and it will be necessary to use
storage reservoirs and well water wher-
ever 1t can be obtained in order to
utilize the land"
OF all the states, Nevada contains the
largest proportion of vacant public
land. More than 95 per cent. of the
area of the state remains In the pos
session of the general government. Ne
vada is the most arid of the states, its
water supply, when compared with its
area, being relatively insignificant. The
small portion of Nevada which has
been disposed of by the government is
the valleys near the California line.
Scattered patches of land disposed of
in one way and another are also to be
found along the Humboldt river. and in
some of the interior valleys, but in the
vast expanse from the Utah line south
westward across the state to the Cali
fornia line there is scarcely a spot
| taken.
Almost two-thirds of the entire land
surface of Colorado. nearly 100000
| acres, is vacant public land. 1t lies
mainly along the ranges of the Rocky
| mountains and to the westward, q few
| of the lands of the broader valleys, es-
pecially In the vicinity of Grand juno
| tion and Montrose. being taken up. In
| the eastern part of the state the great
err part of the fertile areas out upon
| the plains have passed out of the hands
/ of the general government, but, owing
| to the crop failures and discourage
ments, due to protracted drouths, many
| of the claimants to the lands have
moved away, abandoning their houses
| and such improvements as they have
made. Thus, although from the num-
| Der of homestead entries and from the
map, IL would appear that the country
| must be dotted with homes, the travel
er may ride through township after
township without seeing a sign of life,
| excepting a scattered herd. The land.
/ dlluousu not NaCaht' aSSol uih6 " 'hS
| designation public land" is so in fact,
| and can be purchased from its present
| owners for trifling sums.
, The expert treats the states of Ari-
zona, California, Nebraska, New Mex
| leo and the Dakotas in the same gen.
| eral tenor. In New Mexico, seven
tenths of the acreage is still public land
| and nearly half of North Dakota be-
longs to the government. In South Da-
/ kota, the public land is nearly one-third
| of the total. in Nebraska, one-fourth.
while Arizona ranks fourth in the
amount of its vacant public land. The
/ state of Washington seems to have
been overlooked in the st. Louis papers
/