The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-12
EXPERIMENT ARID FARM LOCATORS
MAKE REPORT TO COLLEGE BOARD
Logan. -. June 3. I9O3.

Logan, Utah, June >, 1903
To the Board OF Trustees OF the Agri-
cultural College of Utah.
LADIES and Genuemen-YOur committee
appointed to find suitable locations FOR
the eXperlnental arid farms provided by
the last legislature, beg leave TO report
as follows:
Our Iabors began on Saturday, April 4
IN SALT Lake City, where the necessary
preLmlnaries were arranged On April
s we left for Juab county and on the
following DAY examined the country living
between NeDhi and LeVan- Juab valley
mao previously been studied by represent
aJlVeS from the college, and special at
Jentlon was. therefore, given only TO those
portions OF the valley that were thought
best adapted for arid farming In JUab
valley and in the valleys Immediately to
me west and south. are many thousands
OF acres OF land suitable for farming
without irrigation
On the evening of April we left for
AlllIOru, Beaver county. and on the SIh
we drove from Milford to Parowan, Iron
county, by way of Minersville. examining
the surrounding country as We travelled
The next. day was spent in the vicinity
or ParOWan and Cedar City. In the val
leyS iedulnS from ParagOOnah through
ParoWdn. Cedar City and south to Wash
lngJOn county, are several hundred thou
sand acres OF deep fertile soil which re-
ceIveS d rainfall approximately equal to
that Of Cache valley. On these lands arid
farming can undoubtedly be successful.
On the 10th of April we examined the
country from MOdena TO Hollis ranch,
Washington county. Around the vicinity
Of Hebron and Enterprise and extending
nOrthWard into the Escalante desert are
several hundred thousand acres of the
finest soil found in the state of Utah.
As nearly as we could judge from the
available data. the precipitation there is
not lar from twelve inches, which would
indicate successful arid farming Soil
samples taken at ParOWan. Cedar City
and Enterprise showed a large quantity
of moisture in the soil
On April II we examined the country
between Hollis ranch and st. George
The mountain meadows contained good
soil but the altitude : so high that in
all Droba bility early frosts would make
arid farming there somewhat preCaTiOus.
On April 18th the country around St
George and Santa Clara was examined
The soil there IS tOlerably good, but the
rainfall Is insufficient TO make arid
farming successful.
After this committee had reported its
findings. relative to the conditions Of
southwestern Utah, the members of the
executive committee designated Nepnl.
Juab county; Parowan. Iron county, and
Enterprise, Washington county. as lOca-
tons for three Of the experimental farms
On April Il the committee on locations
selected forty acreS Of land situated about
four miles south and a little west of
Nephi, and on April 10 We selected forty
acres Of land about four miles west and
a little north of ParOWan, both plots TO be
used as permanent arid experimental
farms
on the sd of April after having made
the Journey from ParOwan as quickly as
possible. the committee left Thompson
Springs Grand county, for the purpose of
studying the conditions in southeastern
Utah From ThOmDsOn's Springs to Moab
neither soil nor rainfall conditions seemed
suitable for arid farming. Likewise, the
stretch Of country extending twenty-five
miles south of Moab seems unfit for
the practice of farming without irriga-
ton However. about twenty miles south
east Of OMab are several high messs con-
tanning some $1,000 or more acres of land
which no doubt IN time cOuld be made to
weld crops without irrigation. Some
miles south of Cane Springs. on the road
between Moab and Monticello. there is an
abrupt change in the nature of the coun-
try. From there on almost to the south
ern boundary Of the county there are
gently rolling hills covered with deep
fertile soil on which sage brush and other
native plants are growing in great lux
uriance- The soil and rainfall conditions
there indicate that arid farming will be a
marked success This country is so ele-
waited that probably ii will be impossible
ever to bring it under irrigation. and it
seems that il will remain undeVelOped-
agricuItUrally speaking. unless arid
farming can be made a success there
A conservative estimate places the
amount of land available for dry farm