The Yale expositor., 1900-03-16
WATERING THE LAND
HOW IRRIGATION is PROGRESS
ING IN IDAHO.
HeI ct ofore Arid Regions Being Rapidly
Transformed Into Gardens-Farmers'
Societies In Many Instances own the
Irrigating Works.
CRolse. Idaho. Lottery

Most OF the people who farm in the
rainfall regions suppose that the irri-
cation of land is a GOA plicated process
and that the art of doing it can only
be acquired after years of experience,
whereas, as matter OF fact, 1t Is
about the easiest and most simple
work the western farmer has to do. In
most cases the children attend to It
under the direction of their parents,
and any boy of 10 or IL can do mans
work when it comes to irrigation.
The western farmer is wholly indif-
ferent as to rainfall. He doesn't de-
pend upon 1t In the least. The water
that interests him is that which flows
DOVE into the valley from the melt
lag SHOWS in the mountain ranges.
These waters he diyerts into great
canals which run along the rim of tho
valley about the irrigable lands and
are tapped at stated intervals by what
are called "laterals" or sub-ditches
which flow from farm to farm and out
Of which the farmer takes the water
for his fields. In some cases the waters
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 so many inches Of
water for every acre Of his ownership.
This is the usual plan. But when the
construction of the main canal, owing
to engineering difficulties, Is too expeu-
sive piece of business for the farmer
to afford, irrigation companies under
take the work and build the canal into
portions of the country where large
areas of land are to be reclaimed.
These Irrigation companions are com
mon carriers" of water and furnish 1t
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 acts
of congress.
Perhaps no portion of tEt Union Is
raw making such active progress in
irrigation development, or is receiving
so large a quota of immigrants as
southern Idaho. There are millions OF
unoccupie" acres in that state which
only a ait settlement to become as
pro-, 4c,.ve as the lands upon the Nile
+ 'orts arc being put forth by the state
authorities to bring the advantages oil
thes. 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 the
General Passenger Agent of the Oregon
Short Line at Salt Lale 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
when the unoccupied public domain u
Idaho will be entirely taken up, Goa
dition which will be most unfor wa y
to those wiz delay taking adv n - S "
the rare opportunities no." offere6.