Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1902-05-30
WESTERN y Lie LANDS.

A Press bulletin .s been issued h!
tho United States Geological Survey.
edited by Charles ID. Walcott. which
treats Of ,he photography Of the western
part OF the United States. Tie special
paper pointR ont the good to he obtain
ed by the reclamation of the arid lands
by government action. \ clhssihca'i"n
is given OF the lands OF the West. and an
estimate Is made that within tie arid
and seni.arid districts OF the Western
States nearly l2G.Cco,C00 acres are cover.
Cd with woodland. and, i'll addition.
more thar 100000 acres are covered
with commercial timber; aOout iIo.Ol0.-
oo0 acres are grazing land. Thus. rs tn
tho areas, the grazing industry viii
probably always be the greatest iudust.
rial pursuit. The bulletin says the open
range OF the arid region may supper;
n COW to every twenty acres. The
same land. watered, may support ten
COVE to twenty acres, or, in orchards.
may support five persons to twenty
acres, The open range may sell for
fifty cents an acre; watered, it may be
worth Sj0 an acre, o., in orchards, 300
M acre. The grazing land has the
greatest extent and the least value: the
irrigation land the least extent and the
greatest value.
'One third Of the United States, cx-
elusive Of Alaska and the outlying
possessions. consists o; vacant public
lands. These lands lie for the most
part in the arid region, and crops cannot
be produced upon the nor settl ers
take them up for homcstcads until Il
n sufficient water supply has been
obtained; then crops are abundant.
It Is for the interest Of the public at
large to have all these good agricultural
lands utilized. Who shall make their
occupation by settlers possiblc:" asks
Director WaIcolt.
The answer must come from the law
makers OF the country, and they must he
in possession OF the facts in order TO act
i~Dtelligently. The laws governing the
disposal Of public lands have been drawn
almost wholly with reference to the
lands OF the Ohio aud the Mississippi
" vi tuAlCltlL ltlLlutl
This rectangular system OF subdivision
OF the public lands has been found
detrimental 10 the Ues. growth Of the
western two ffth5 OF the United States.
because attention has been concentrated
npon land titles, whereas first til fought
rhould have been given to water rights,
through which alone the land has value
10 remedy this evil for the remaining
public lnnds, and to gather the facts
upon which intelligent action can be
based ia . patriotic duty. Tho facts
pertain first OF all to the wRter supply
and its limitations. Irrigation, which
concerns all citizens OF the United
States aud their chiidren's children. Is
the key to the situation. 1t ia the duty
OF the highest citizenship to provide a
hundred homes for independent farmers
rather than TO permit the land to be-
taken up as onc or two grcut stock
ranches, controlled by non.residcnts
md furnishing employment to a fcw
nomadic herders."
Tho bulletin say ~" OF the actual
desert lands III the States PRO
Guce nothing, even watered. aa.
for example, the brou .lIts adjacent
~ the Great Salt Lake "a Utah, and the
lands around the Humboldt, Carson and
Walker sinks, in Nevada. Others. like
tho Mohave desert, near the Colorado
river, in southeastern California,
produce large crops when watercd. In
this the Geological Survey ia misiufnrm.
ed, or 'ai'ai nGtq plain what Is intend.
ed Some 81 the richest soil Is found
riose to u.c aherts Of tbe Gteat SnIt
Iahs end farmiDF Is cnc1ei 90 .n MS
clcsa p%roxiBfty "a 'be eettrs' " he
Ht neoldt salod tGGson inKps as the
TerituDie rise and fall Of the water will
allow; PORTIONS OF the lake bottoms have
been permanently reclaimed. The lands
heavily ~impregnatcd with salt OF alkali
cannot DO made to yield profitable crops.
but all other desert lands arc rich in all
tho essentials OF vegetable lie, requiring
but the application OF water To f~ructify
and bring tortl, Rbundnntly Ogden
STANDARD.