The Chanute times., 1900-03-09

We are permitted to publish an ex-
tract from a private letter written py
gentleman who has recently been
devoting his time to the personal in
vestigation of practical farming by ir-
rigation in the west. His vivid por-
trayal of the advantages OF that sys-
lem will no doubt interest our readers.
He says:
| There is a vast, an immeasurable
| difference between farming in the east
and farming in the west II the farm
ers Of the east could only be made to
understand the advantages enjoyed by
their western brethren, l verify believe
there would soon be no land for set
tlement in the great irrigation states.
The irrigation farmer has absolute
certainty of crop, and certainty OF Its
perfect maturity. He never plants
that he does not reap, and when say
reap don't mean the reaping of scat
tered stands of half matured grain
such as the eastern farmer cuts at the
close of dry season: but the reap
Ing of fields that frequently average 5O
bushels Of wheat to the acre-every
grain Of which has reached the perfec-
tion of development There Is no
anxious scanning Of the skies for the
cloud no larger than q mans hand
and fervent prayers that 1t may en-
yelop the heavens and send down wa
ter to the thirsty fields. The irriga-
tlon farmer never thinks about rain.
He watches his growing crops, and thu
Gay and the hour moisture is needed,
he is out with his hoe flooding his
fields with water from canals that
skirt them.
Everything grows in the west that
grows anywhere else in the United
States north Of Tennessee. Potatoes
frequently yield 500 bushels to the
acre, and barley is grown far better
than any raised in the east. The
fruits are delicious. l never saw any
to compare with those grown in Idaho,
where apples, peaches, piums, cherries,
pears. apricots abound, and where
there are thousands OF acres of Italian
and German prunes which l am told
have made fortunes for their owners.
'To my mind, Idaho is the best wa !
tered and most inviting arid state in !
he Union. made careful investlga-
ton Of the great Snake River valley
in that state, along and tributary to
he Oregon Short Line Railroad, and
saw there evidences Of prosperity such
rs l have never seen elsewhere in the
United States. This wonderful valley
s said 10 contain over 100000 acres
If arabic land. 1t is threaded with
great irrigation canals in every direc-
ion, and there are vast tracts await
ng only the touch of the farmer to
make them productive. The sun doesn't
shine on finer or more fertile land.
When I saw the happy homes, the we'll
illed granaries, the sleek, fat stock,
md the smile on the face of nature
effected in a smile of contentment on
he faces Of the farmers, my heart
vent out in pity to the thousands in
he east who are struggling along from
year to year, toiling against adverse
climatic conditions, and never know
ng how soon a drouth will wipe out
he profits of prosperous years.
Lands can be had in this Snake
river valley almost for the asking,
,ut they are going, day by day. The
oregon Short Line is making extra
efforts to bring the advan-
ages Of Idaho to the notice Of eastern
armers, and is flooding the country
With conservatively written descriptions
Il the state. Write to the General Pas
enger Agent of this Railroad at Salt
AXE for printed matter about Idaho,
md read it carefully. 1t will be
evelatlon to you and l sincerely be-
ieve will end in your removal to the
vest"