, 1903-01-26
is GIVEN IMPETUS
FEDERAL AID IN CONSTRUCTION
OF IRRIGATION WORKS HELP
ING EVERY INDUSTRY.
People of the Eastern States Just Be-
ginning to Realize the Opportuni-
ties Offered in Territory to Be
Opened-GeoIogicaI Survey Gath
ering Statistics on the Subject.

cIlTlQ okdktokiSS y" 'iS SeoJSSh.
Washington. d. C. Jan. 26.-tSpc-
iial to The Republican.)-The accept
ance by congress of the principle of
federal aid in the construction of if
rigation works in the western states
has given a great impetus to every in
dustry in that section of the country.
The people of the eastern states are
just beginning to realize the oppor-
tunities offered in the territory to be
opened up. AS the proposition dcvcl-
ops a tide of immigration will inevita-
bly, set in and this region will become
one of the most populous and prosper
Gus in the country. With large areas
of reclaimable land and plenty of avail
able water, Wyoming 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 III"
present 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 ensus to bring
down to date the irrigation statistics
obtained in 1900 by that office. Let
| $50, 90 -,r;r,, aud schedules 70 nov
! being sent out to secur the necessar,
information. All interested in irriga'
ton should answer as fully and a
prom ny as possible any inquiries
they may receive, so that the merit
of the various sections of the c%ountr,
may become known. Irrigators who dc
not receive blanks within a reasonable
time should notify the census otic'
at Washington and they will be sup
piled.
1t is interesting to note in this con
~nection how much it will mean to tn,
country at large to have the arid lands
of the west reclaimed.
According to the census of 1900 the
total improved farm area of the United
States was Ala 800, 900 acres. 1t is con
servatively estimated that the reclaim
able area is not less than sc, 1000. 900
acres. It's reclamation, therefore, will
add nearly %one-eighth to the actual
crop producing land of the country and
will exceed by a liberal margin the till
able land of all the states, excepting
New York. on the Atlantic coast from
Maine to Florida. Allowing forty
acres. the average size of irrigated
farms. this will make 1880 900 farms.
or a little less than o%ne-fourth the mum
Der in the United States in 1900. The
occupants of these farms will d di-
rectly t o the population $3.50, 900, and
Indirectly. in the accompanying mer-
camille, professional. manufacturing
and industrial classes, at least 1925
900 more, a total increase in the popu-
lation of the United States of 1915 900,
or nearly 12k per cent.
The total value of all the farms in
1900. including all improvements eX'
cept buildings. was $13, 115 900, 900. At
$3.50 per acre, the average value of
irrigated land, the so, 900 900 acres to
be reclaimed will add to the value OF
farm land 81, $50, 900, 900. If buildings
are included, the value will be in
creased SITS. 900, 900. while the aug
mented wealth through railroads,
cities, mills and factories, is beyond
estimation.
The number of irrigating bitches and
products in 1900 was S4.379,000, 900.
The average value per acre of products
of irrigated lands was s14.S1. At this
rate the area to be reclaimed will add
products worth $740.50 900. an add
ton of nearly one-sixth of the life sus-
tanning powers of the country.
The nufber of irrigating bitches and
canals in operation in the United States
exceeds 10000 and their combined
length is not less than $4,000 miles.
II Joined end to end they reach twice
around the world. Formed into one
they would constitute a ~navigable
canal, such as the Erie, thirty feet
wide and five feet deep. extending from
San Francisco to New York. a distance
of over 5000 miles.
The figures of the last census show
that the works required to irrigate
1858, 273 acres cost $64 ,2S9. Sol, an av-
erage of $S.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 it's part there will be no
delay by the farmers in carrying on
the work. While the initial expense
is enormous. it is not comparable with
the value of the crops which will he
grown on the lands reclaimed. The To-
tai cost of all the irrigation works in
use in the country is only three-fourths
the value of the crops produced each
year on irrigated lands.