Hutchinson gazette., 1900-03-15
WATERING THE LAND
HOW IRRIGATION Is PROGRESS
mo IN IDAHO.
Heretofore Arid Regions Being Rapidly
Transformed Into GardonA--FarmerA
sooiotiss ia Many Instances own tha
IrriGRtinE Works.
(Bolse, Idaho, Lottery


Most Of the people who farm in the
rainfall regions suppose that the lrrl-
cation OF land is complicated process
md that the art OF doing II can only
be acquired after years OF experience,
whereas, as matter OF fact, II Ia
about the easiest and most simple
work the western farmer has to do. In
most cases the children attend to Il
under the direction OF their parents,
and any boy of 10 or ~ can do a mana
work when II comes to irrigation.
The western farmer is wholly indlf.
ferent as to rainfall, He doesn't de-
pend upon II In the least. the water
that interests him Is that which flows
down into the valley from the melt
Ing SHOWS In the mountain ranges,
These waters he dlverts into great
canals which run along the rim OF tho
valley about the lrrlgable lands and
are tapped at stated intervals by what
are called "laterals" or sub-dItchea
which flow from farm to farm and out
OF which the farmer takes the water
for his fields. In some cases the watera
OF these mountain streams are acquired
by the community Of farmers along
their course, each one holding as many
shares Of stock In the cooperative
canal scheme as he owns acres OF land,
and being entitled to 30 many inches OF
water for every acre Of his ownership
This Is the usual plan. but when tho
construction Of tho main canal, owing
to engineering difficulties, Is too expeu
sive a piece OF business for the farmer
to afford, irrigation companies under
take the work and build the canal ntd
portions Of the country where large
areas OF land are to be reclaimed
These Irrigation companions are Com
mon carriers" of water and furnish II
for nominal price per acre per an
mum to the farmer. Sometimes these
Irrigation companies own large tracts
under their ditch which they sell In
small farms with the water right, to
settlers at a nominal prices per acre
In other instances they do not own
land at all, leaving that to be acquired
by the settler under the various acta
OF congress.
Perhaps no portion Of the Union Ia
now making such active progress In
irrigation development or is receiving
so large a quota Of immigrants aI
southern Idaho. There are millions oi
unoccupied acres in that state which
only await settlement to become ai
productive as the lands upon the Nile
Efforts arc being put forth by the state
authorities to bring the advantages Of
these lands to the notice Of the eastern
farmer, and the several railroads oil
the state are engaged in the work,
Perhaps the easiest and the best way
to acquire information is from tho
General Passenger Agent OF the Oregon
Short Line at Salt Lake City, from
whence conservatively prepared pamph'
lets descriptive OF irrigation meth
DDS and containing reliable informa.
ton about the various localities now
open for settlement, are being mailed
free.
The time is certainly not far distant
whcl the unoccupied public domain oil
Idaho will be entirely taken up, con-
dition which will be most unfortunate
to those who delay taking advantage ol
the rare opportunities now offered.