The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-29

Ihan Qld the farmers when they were
selling their wheat for 81 and s195
bushel.
Reclaim AlkaIi Lands.
Second. the reclamation of aIkali
lands would help agriculture in Utah
and increase the products of the farm
probably as nothing else would. There
are probably in Utah valleys 200, 900
acres Of bottom lands that are prac-
tically worthless, rendered so princi-
pally through faulty irrigation systems
on account Of alkali. Nothing viii now
grow on those lands, though they con-
tain every essential element for plant
growth. There are no more fertile
lands in the world. There would be
no more productive lands in the world
if they were free from alkaH. It has
been proven in California that not only
may the alkali be removed from the
soil, but when once removed the lands
are highly productive. There are $4,000
acres of such lands in the vicinity Of
Salt Lake City that could be made to
blossom as the rose; more than as
much more in the vicinity of Ogden,
and in beautiful Cache and other val
Ieys throughout the state there are
thousands of acres that have gone TO
waste, and the injury, as has Deen
pointed out, is progressing. The LANDS
in the Salt Lake and ogden valleys
have been carefully gone over by
United States government experts.
They have been carefully mapped and
the soil analyzed. and the conclusions
have been reached, first, that these
lands are naturally highly fertile; sec
ond. that drainage and dralnage
only will remedy the alkah evil;
and third, drainage of these lands IS
entirely feasible. The problem IS a
financial one, and it is safe to say that
no financial problem confronts the peo-
nile of Utah today that offers so muEh
in returns to the state as the problem
of aIkaIi-not Of alkah, for the alKall
nrob!em has been sOlved-as the prob
lem of drainage. These lands IN the
vicinity of salt Lake City could De
made worth 500 an acre In TINS pro
gressive day and age, are the people
of Utah content to let the best part OF
the state remain forever a waste ana
an eve-sGre2 I do not believe they are
Before anything Of consequence can
he stfempted there will need TO be some
state drainage laws. other states nave
drainage laws where drainage is not
sneak therefore. of developing our ag-
riculture. of increasing the agricultural
wealth of the state it is doubtful If
there is anv other one thing of so much
consequence as the drainage question
CT the reclamation of the alkaH lands.
Storage Reservoirs.
The third point, the storage reser-
voirs. In sections Of the state where
the water supply is limited OF made
auate during the growing season, the
question of building reservoirs is OF
first importance. Besides, there are
great tracts of land that could be
brought under cultivation by the build
ing of reservoirs and canals. This
would greatly increase our agr1cul-
tural domain and add enormously "a
the total value Of our agriculture
products. This question Is Of the great
est importance. And yet, unless the
building OF reservoirs is supplemented
o.. preceded by the digging Of drains
the alkah difficulty win be intensified
Bring more Of the bench lands under
the irrigating ditch and more of the
bottom lands in consequence VIII be
brought under the blight of alkali.
Along these three lines. then, we
must look for the future growth Of oul
agricultural wealth and the wealth oil
the state-improvement in farm meth
DDS: reclamation of aikaH lands, 4nc
building Of storage reservoirs. There Is
no danger of our agricultural growth
being arrested. There is no danger OF
our agriculture being unequal to the
growing demands upon it by the othei
Industries Of the state. In point of fac
our agriculture is vet in its infancy
Each year, under fair conditions. viii
witness a growth, and with proper en-
enlargement in the matter of drainage
and storage reservoirs the next decade
vii witness a marvellous transforma
ton all over the stale.