The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1903-02-12
THE IRRIGATION QUESTION.
The People OF the East arc Be
oiunine to Take an Interest

oluninR TO ldhc dh
The acceptance by Congress OF the
principle OF federal aid in the constitute
ton of irrigation works IN the Western
States has given q great impetus to ev-
cry industry in that section OF the
country The people Of the Eastern
States arc just beginning to realize the
opportunities offered in the territory to
be opened up. As the proposition de-
yelops. a tide Of immigration will inev-
itably set in and this region will become
one Of the most populous and prosper
Gus in the country. With large areas
OF reclaimable land, Nevada especially
will be benefited by the measure.
The actual work OF surveying, locat.
ing and constructing reservoirs and
other irrigation works will be done by
the Geological Survey. In order to
obtain better understanding Of the
present. extent of irrigation, the loca
ton of 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
obtained in 1900 by that office. Letters
Of inquiry and schedules are now being
sent out TO secure the necessary infor-
nation. All interested in irrigation
should answer as fully and as promptly
as possible any Inquiries they may re-
ceive. 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 con-
nection how much it will mean to the
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, $780, 900 acres. 1t is con-
servatively estimated that the reclaim
able area Is not less than $4,000, 600
acres. It's reclamation, therefore, will
add nearly one-eighth to the actual
prod ucing area Of the country and will
exceed by u liberal margin the tillable
land OF all the States, excepting New
York on the Atlantic coast. from Maine
to Florida. Allowing 40 acres the av-
erage size OF irrigation farms, this area
will make l,250, 600 farms. or little
less than one-iourth the number in the
United States in 1900. The occupants
of these farms will add directly to the
population 6, $50, 900, and indirectly, In
the accompanying mercantile, profess
sional, manufacturing and Industrial
classes, al least 3, 125, 600 more, total
increase IN the population of the Unit.
States OF Q, 375, Goo or nearly twelve and
one-half per cent,
The total value of all the farms In
1900, including all improvements, ex
cept buildings, was Sl3, lis, 000, 600. At
s42. so per acre, the average value OF ir-
rigated land, the 80, 600, 600 acres to be
reclaimed will add to the value OF farm
land 81, $50, 000,0 II buildings are
included. the value will be increased
s775, 600, 600 while the augmented
wealth through railroads, cities, mills
and factories, is beyond estimation.
The annual value of all the farm pro-
ducts in 1900 was 81, 379, 900, 900. The
average value per acre of products OF
irrigated lands was S14S1 Atthis rate
the area to be reclaimed will add pro-
ducts worth $40, 500, 600, an addition of
nearly one-sixth OF the DEMONSTRATING
powers OF the country.
The number of irrigating bitches and
canals in operation IN the United States
exceeds 20,000 and their combined
length is not less than 80, 600 miles. II
Joined end to end they would 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, distance of
over 3, 900 miles.
The figures of thsiast census show
that the works required to irrigate u
263, 273 acres cost s64, 299, COL, an aver
age of So. s. per acre. At this rate the
expenditure required to reclaim the
area proposed would be at least $3.50,
900, 600 After the Government has
performed its part there will be no de-
lay 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 be
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.
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