Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-01-28
IRRIGATION WORKS.
Federal Aid Will Help ths Grsa'
Western States and Territories.
SOME INTERESTING FlSURES.
Special to The Citizen.


Washington, Jan. 2S-The accept
ance by congress OF the principal of
federal aid in the construction of irri-
cation works in the western tates
has given a great impetus to every in
dustry in that section of country. The
people of the eastern states are Just
beginning to realize the opportunities
offered in the territory to be opened
up. AS the proposition develops. a
tide OF immigration will inevitably set
in and this region will become one of
the most populous and prosperous in
the country. With large areas of re-
claimable land New Mexico especially
will be benefited by the measure.
The actual work of surveying, locat.
Ing and constructing reservoirs and
other irrigation works will be lone by
the geological survey. In order to OBJ
tain a better understanding Of pres
ent extent of irrigation, the location of
the areas irrigated, and to gain other
Information useful in this work. the
EFifty-seventh congress. authorized the
lairector of the censu to bring down
Ito date the irrigation statistics OBJ
ltained, in 1900 by that office. Letters
Eof Inquiry and schedules are now being
Esent out to secure the necessary infor.
nation. All interested in irrigation
lshould answer as fully and as prompt.
" as possibly any inquiries they may
receive so that the merits of the var.
ious sections of the country may be.
come known. Irrigators who do not
receive blanks within a reasonable
time should notify the census Office at
Washington and they will be supplied
1t is interesting to note in this connec.
ton how much it will mean to the
of the west reclaimed.
| According to the census of 1900 the
total improved farm area of the United
States was Ala, SOC, 900 acres. 1t is con.
servatively estimated that the reclaim.
able area is not less than so, 000, O0O
acres. Its reclamation, therefore, will
add nearly one-eighth to the actual
crop producing area of the country
and will exceed by a liberal margin
the tillable land of all the states, ex
cepting New York, on the Atlantic
coast fro mMaine to Florida. Allowing
forty acres, the average size of irrigat.
ed farms, this area will make 1850, 900
farms, or a little less than o~ne-fourth
the number in the United States in
1900. The occupants of these farms
will add directly to the population g..
$50 900, and indirectly, in the accom-
panying mercantile. professional. man.
ufacturing and industrial classes at
least 3.l26,e00 more, a total increase
in the population of the United States
of 9,375.0O0. or nearly 1871 per cent.
The total value of all the farms in
1900, including all improvements, ex.
cept buildings, was $13, lis, 000, 900. At
S42.50 per acre, the average value of
irrigated land. the $1,000, 900 acres to
be reclaimed will add to the value of
the farm land 81. $50, 200, 900. If build
ings are included, the value will be in
creased s775, 0O0, 900, while the lug
mented wealth through railroads,
cities, mills and factories. is beyond
totiliillloh.
The annual value of all the farm
products in 1900 was $4,379, 000, 900.
The average value per acre of prod
ucts of irrigated lands was $14.S1. At
this rate the area to be reclaimed will
add products worth s740, 500, 900, an ad-
dition of nearly one-sixth of the life
sustaining powers of the country.
% The number of ~irrigating bitches
and canals in operation in the United
States exceeds 10000, and their com
bined length is not less than $4,000
miles. If joined end to end they would
reach twice around the world. Formed
into one they would constitute a navig-
able canal, such as the Erie, thirty feet
wide and five feet deep, extending
from San Francisco to New York, a
distance OF over'3, 900 miles.
The figures of the last census show
that the works required to irrigate
1868. 273 acres cost s64,2S9, COL, an av-
erage of sS.S5 per acre. AT this rate
the expenditure required to reclaim
the area proposed would be at least
$3.50, 600, 900. After the government
has performed its part there will be no
delay by the farmers in carrying out
the work. While the initial expense