Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1904-08-05

commencing the work on what 10 know n
rs the government Truckce-Carsun pro
Jeci. The irrigable lands commanded by
the Truckee and Carson rivers, the
Hood waters oi which the government
will store, lie in Reno valley. to the ex-
tent "f probably 1900 acrce; along the
foot hills nOrth of the Trucier river ami
III number ui medium sized valleys,
about 10000 acre.; on tle Pyramid In
dian reservation and adjacent to WHde-
sworth about 5000 acre.; III the Cur
! son Sink valley fully 10000 acrea; hi
the Churchill und Dayton valleys about
| 10000 acres and III the lower Hum
boldt OF LovelOck valley about $1,000.
acres,
Much Of the land il held III private
ownership and will require the oper-
alton OF "a water users association, to
deal with the government, such rs has
been organized III the Salt River valley.
In the Carson Sink valley, Mr.. Taylor
! reports about l2j coo acres III public
land. This is fortunate circum stance.
and from the standpoint ~ the future
settler It Is also fortunate that the en-
ginccrs Of the present Reclamation Ser.
vice had these Nevada conditions in
mind at the time 81 the passage OF the
irrigation act, else there wOnld have
been repetition in part of the calamity
which happened Ncvnra when she came
into the Union, tn, spectators immedi.
atciy secured all the valuable land and
water rights ana excluded settlement.
80 that now Nevada has but about 49,.
600 population. Certain parties were
ready to file upon this government land,
immediately that the irri CATION Till pas
scd, utilizing the desert land act and the
coumutation clause of the homestead
act for this neiarious scheme, by which
the spectators would profit at the hands
Of the future settler. Bnt the tclc-
graph wns quicker than the steam
engine and because members OF Mr..
Newells surveying force knew what
would happen To the public lands IN.
'''' '''S '"NN'' p''g'NNt
the irrigation bill WIS passed, Ycstng
authority III the Interior Department To
Withdraw lands from speculative entry.
the entire country within any possible
range Of the Truckce or Carson waters
WIS held up from anything but five year
homestead entry.
Mr.. TaylDr's official statement regard
ing the surveys made ~ the rruckce-
Carson project il that
"Iho Investigations ~ the water
supply have not progressed sufficiently
tO wnrrcnt a close estimate Of the irrig
alton possibilities, but it is confidently
believed that the water can he controlled
30 IN to reclaim at least $4,000 acres"
Here would be 2,3i4 ono hundred and
sixty acre farms ur an agricultural
population. leaving ont the towns and
trading ccntcrs Of probably 40.
While Mr.. Tuylor's report is Of u
statistical mature and somewhat dry,
though notwithstanding the subject
trcatcd of, he in ono paragraph paints Il
picture Of the possible results nf the
government work, not without human
interest. Tho principal crops, he says,
are alfalfa. whirh is cut five or six tImca
year, about u ton Ia the crop. barley.
oats aud wheat averaging twenty five
or thirty bushels "a the acre, though in.
dances have been known uf seventy.
five bushels per acre. Grapes thrive and
prolucc good yields of fruit OF excel.
ent flavor. three acres having produced
5000 pounds. Pomcgrani,cs, peaches
and apricols do wcll, as do vegetables
and small fruits.
GuY T.. MITCHELL.