The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31

IS bushels were worth S15.12- The av-
erage of the six years shows yield OF
1913 bushels per acre, worth 81 81. BY
referring to Table No. 4. il is seen that
! the average for all the United States
was 1873 bushels per acre. worth SS-06
a difference of S4.S1 in favor of the
Utah farm.
Table 3 shows that Utah oats aver
aged during the six years 34.6 bushels
per acre, worth S12. The year 1898 shows
the highest yield, also the highest ay-
erage value, being 1917 bushels, worth
s15.09. BY referring to Table it is
seen that the average for the United
States was 26.5 bushels per acre, worth
Sc. AZ. The yield for Utah was about a
third greater ans the acreage value
about double.
In yield of corn Utah is slightly be-
hind the average of the United States
but the acreage value is very much
greater in Utah.
In barley, Utah is again very much
ahead. both in yield and acreage
value.
Utah's yield of hay is 2e1 tons pei
acre. worth S13.0S. against yield OF
1.S1 and an acreage value of 1888 for
the United States, the yield of hay be-
ing just double in the former.
These figures, which come from an
unquestioned source, are highly salts
factory to Utah. They show that with
but one exception, that of yield of corn,
both in the matter of yield per acre and
in markets, the comparison is alto
gether in favor of this state.
Averages Explained.
These figures, it must be remembered,
represent averages, and averages new
er represent possibilities. When we
say that the yield of hay averages 2.61
l. hot
this represents the average yield of
the good farms under good farming in
Utah. An average of the good hay
fields of the state would show twice 2. 81
tons per acre. In the average given in
Table No. 3, timothy, clover, lucern and
wild hay are included. Taking the
great fodder crop of the state. lucern.
five tons per acre year after year is
easily obtained.
The averages given for wheat and
other grain crops do not mean the
averages from irrigated farms. There
are many farms in the state that are
never irrigated and the yield il prob
ably half as much on these as on irri-
gated farms. But this average is made
up of irrigated and unirrigated yields,
and of course is much lower than an
average of the irrigated farms would
show.
To show what good farming will do
without irrigation it may be stated that
Mr. George L. Farrell of Smithfie,d,
Cache county, produced last season
twenty bushels of good wheat per acre
on his dry farm. The yield on most
of the dry farms of the state the past
season was almost a total failure. Mr..
Farrells success is due to thorough
tillage.
Agricultural Area.
1t is difficult to estimate the area
of lands in the state rot now cultivated
that are susceptible of cultivation and
irrigation. It must first be known how
much water there is available for ir-
rigation and how much of the SURPLUS
may be stored in reservoirs for the
dry seasons. This is a problem re-
quiring engineering skill to determine,
and as yet there is very little data on
hand from which to form a reliable
estimate. In Utah the engineer must
precede the settler. Irrigation is the
life of the farm; the land is worth
nothing without water. but we know
very little of how to husband and how
to use it. Enormous quantities Of wa
ter are running to waste. which. if
an efficient system of storage could be
devised, would be more than sufficient
to irrigate millions of acres that are
now in a desert state. With little en-
gineering skill and little capital these
lands could be turned into fruitful fields
which would add millions of dollars
every year TO the wealth of the state.
There are now some 500, 900 acres under
cultivation in the state. 1t has been
estimated that fully 100000 and 4,000,-
GOO acres more are susceptible of cult
walton and for which there is abundant
water. With these lands under culti-
walton. instead of some s12 900, 900 worth
of products year, we would have some
$50, 900, 600 revenue from the farms.
There is room for growth here. There
is room for all the sons of Utah to
make homes in the state, and with
these lands under the irrigating ditch,
the state would attract thousands of
progressive young men from other
states.
Products of the Soil.
Utah offers such variety of soil and
climate that the list of products is a
lengthy one. All the cereals of the
temperate zone are successfully grown.
The list of fruits includes apples, pears,
peaches, plums, cherries, grapes, rasin
grapes, apricots. In southern Utah,
cotton is successfully grown; so are al
monds. Sugar beetS are successfully
grown in all the valleys of Utah.
Sugar Beets.
dIt HOW lNO IIlOutIH Utcl
sugar factories in active operation in
Utah. costing about half a million dol
lars each One of these is located in
Utah county, the other in Weber. The
ogden factory the past year-the sec
ond year of its operation-paid to farm
ers about S150,000 for beets delivered at
the factory. About 5000 acres were de-
voted to the raising of these beets, and
the number of tons harvested was
about 81, 600. The Utah county factory
at Lehi, that has been in operation for
a number of years, paid the farmers
in 1899 for beets S243, 000 The average
was 400, and the tons produced 80, 1928.
Dairying. .....-
Utah is rapidly coming to the front
as a great dairy state. In 1890 there
were three factories in the state, worry
ing along in the dark. Today there
are some sixty modern butter and
cheese factories, representing an in
vestment of $1,000 for buildings and