The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-02-17
IRRIGATION IN THE WEST.

Special to MESSENGER
The acceptance by Congress of
the principle of federal aid in the
construction of irrigation works
in the western states has given a
great impetus to every Industry
in that section of the country.
The people of the eastern states
are just beginning to realize the
opportunities offered in the ter
ritory 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 reclaimable land
and plenty of available water,
Idaho especially will be benefited
by the measure.
The actual work of surveying,
locating and constructing reser-
voirs and other irrigation works
will be done by the Geological
Survey. In order to obtain a
better understanding of the pres
ent extent of irrigation, the loca-
ton of the areas irrigated, and
to gain other information useful
in this work, the Fifty seventh
Congress authorized the Director
of the Census to bring down to
date the irrigation statistics OBJ
tanned in 1900 by that office. Let
tiers of inquiry and schedules are
now being sent out to secure the
necessary information. All in
terested in irrigation should ans
wer as fully and as promptly as
possible any inquiries they may
receive so that the merits of the
various sections of the country
may become 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
connection how much it will mean
to the country at large to have
the arid lands of the West re-
claimed.
According to the census of
1900 the total improved farm area
of the United States was Ala, 800, !
600 acres. 1t is conservatively
estimated that the reclaimable
area is not less than $4,000, 1000
acres. Its reclamation, there
fore, will add nearly one-eighth
to the actual crop producing area
of the country and will exceed
by liberal margin the tillable
land of all the states, excepting
New York, on the Atlantic Coast
from Maine to Florida. Allow
ing 40 acres, the average size of
irrigated farms, this area will
make 1,250,000 farms, or little
less than one-fourth the number
in the United States in 1900. The
occupants of these farms will add
directly to the population $3.50, :
600, and indirectly, in the ac-
companying mercantile, profess
sional, manufacturing and indus
trial classes at least 1925, 900
more, total increase in the
population of the United States
of 9,375, 900, or nearly twelve and
one-half per cent.
The total value of all the farms
in 1900, including all improve
ments except buildings, was S13, :
1l5,0o0,0o0. At 1880 per acre.
the average value of irrigated
land, the $4,000, 900 acres to be
reclaimed will add to the value
of farm land 81, $50, 100000. If
buildings are included, the value
will be increased $775, 900, 900,
while the augmented wealth
through railroads, cities, mills
and factories, is beyond est:ma-
ton.
The annual value of all the
farm products in 1900 was 81.
$40, 100000. The average value
per acre of products of irrigated
land was $14.81. At this rate the
area to be reclaimed will add