CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1904-09-22
Irrigation Will Change Deser.s 10 Gardeas and
Provide Lands for Millions of Homes.
ROOSEvELTS sTR0HG, FRIENDLY HAND
A Policy that Increases the Sum of Human
Happiness and EnIarges and Strength
ems the Republic

country a',ounds in mountains, plains
and valleys. 1t is here that the govern
nient proposes to apply the workings of
the National Irrigation Act and to re-
claim all of the arid land which may
be ascertiined to be ara bic and which
is found to he susceptible OF reclama-
ton by the amount of water available.
Government experts estimate that the
present amount of land which may be
irrigated is abont one hundred million
acres. This can be reclaimed by apply
ing the amount of water now available.
direct. Ii is also estimated that after
irrigation has been applied to the soil
for three or four years. Il loss quantity
OF water is necessary and hence an adj
ditional area of perhaps fifty millions
acres more may possibly he added to the
reclamation area.
Nature Did the NcedfuI.
Nature seems to have employed every
resource at its command to make the
mountain and plain region the most fnv-
ored portion of the earth's surface for
the habitation of man. This section will
one day be the seat of empire OF the
United States. and. consequently. the
world. For distance of more than a
thousand miles there successive
chains of mountains. in general course
running north and south and on parallel
lines. with numerous valleys occupying
the immediate ground.
Each valley. large or small, has its
stream. carrying, with rapid fall, the
melting SHOWS OF the. tributary noun
tains The grades in general favor the
operation of irrigating canals which
take the water from streams aud carry
it at a moderate fall to lines above
the cultivated land. As the spring sea-
sou advances. the rainfall decreases. the
crops need more and more water. which
is furnished automatically by the gradual
increase of the temperature along and
up the mountain side. reaching the light
est deposit of snow first. and then. during
the later and hotter months, drawing
upon the reserve of the deeper and less
enser melted ice at the higher attitudes.
Fertility of Arid Soil.
Under the rains of centuries much of
the soluble plant foods in eastern soils
have been washed into the sea. Where
no rainfall exists the plant food remains.
The government analyses of soils show
that In. arid lands average three times
as much potash. six times as much mag
ncsia and fourteen times as much lime
as the humid lands. Any farmer will
tell you that n limestone country is a
rich country. To replace the food taken
by growing plants the eastern farmer
resorts to fertilizers and manure. Start
ing with a rich soil. the irrigationist also
finds fertilizing strength in the water he
uses. The manurial vaue held in solu-
ton in 80 inches OF water-thc amount
applied to one acre in season at the
University of Arizona-amounted to
S9.0I. Ten acres under irrigation aver
age better returns than 4O-acrc crops, in
the usual way.
Land Very Valuable.
In those communities of the west
which have been created by irrigation.
the average yield of wheat. potatoes and
small fruits far exceeds that of the best
farming district in Iowa or Missouri
or the best part OF the Mississippi Val
ley. Although comparatively remote
from the worlds markets for products,
an acre OF land under water rights in
the very heart of the arid region. will
command a higher price than an acre in
the humid Mississippi Valley. The farm
ers have learned that 40 acres, well till
ed. will yield more profit than 400 acres
farmedl in the old. haphazurd way. In
tensiye farming and larger profits from
smaller farms are making closely settled
communities. establishing nearby neigh
bors. schools. churches and libraries, and
the isolation of old farm life no longer
exists. The farmer makes more money.
and the deadly nlpnotony Of life does
not drive his children from home. or
his wife to the insane asylum.
Roosevelt Immorta,iz~d.
The passage OF the National Irriga-
ton Act is tautamDunt to saying thai
the west is already redeemed-,it is now
only question OF time. Perhaps no
law has been passed since the founda-
ton of this government wh.ch has been
or can be so prolific in great aud last
ing results to the United States No
law has ever been enacted which will
add SO much stability. wealth. happi-
ness and general prosperity to the peo-
pie and the government AZ the National
Irrigation Law.
| Here is new field for the most hope
| full speculation. 1t cannot be that any
| human mind has yet been able to esti-
| mate the far-reaching. the fruitful
suits which will follow in the wake OF
this National Act. Lincoln is immortal
| lied for his Emancipation Proclamation.
Roosevelt will he imnortalized because
| lie has done that which will set free
| from the thral1om OF the congestcd CEN
ters OF population. millions of families
| who can and will feel grateful to him
| and his memory az they sit under their
own vine and fiStree and enjoy all the
| comforts and contcntment OF their new
| and enlarged life OF health. happiness
and usefulness.
Make IL easy for the average citizen
to become a land owner and You
strengthen tenfold his allegiance and de-
vnttnu 4, his country nnJ fat,,;iv NT;t