The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1904-04-02
COMMITTEE PETITIoNs GOVERNMENT
Bose-Payette irrigation Committee Submits Reportsplsn-
did Showing Made.

braska corn can be laid down here.
Eggs sell for Is to 40 cents per dozen,
butter 20 to 35 cents per pound, apples
from 65 cents to 81 80 per box, alfalfa
and clover seed. 10 to IS cents per
pound
With high rate OF production from
the soil, the farm unit il comparatively
small, and will probably tend towards
an average Of 80 acres. This makes
thiclsly settled farming community,
With healthy climate and remark
able freedom from heavy storms or ex-
treme temperature, with good social
conditions, productive lands and a GER
tainty Of crops, with the possibilities OF
diversified and intensive farming and
the ease with which the farm may be
set to fruit trees, shade trees and lawns,
these valleys are pre-eminently adapted
to the home maker, and it is the home
maker in the best sense who is now
shaping the development OF the COM
munity.
All the lands in the Payette valley in
cluded in the government project are
desert lands and consequently only
! i..., , .,.o,,ti,4;,.o ,.o1,,o r.It;vato,l
lands in the Boise valley range in price
from $50 to $3.50 per acre, the greatest
single factor in determining their value
being the certainty and adequacy of the
water supply. This is easily seen in the
Payette valley under the present bitches,
where with full supply of water land
ranges from 500 to 5000 per acre. These
/ prices are justified no. only by the de
mand for the lands at those rates, but
by their actual productive value and
power to pay interest on the Investment
This review Of agricultural conditions
is made with view of showing that re
clamation or these unproductive landi
and partially unproductive lands il
/ these valleys is business proposition
/ It is confidently believed that no section
in the arid west, except portions Of Cali
: fornia, will repay so high cost of re
clamation as will the lands OF south
e western idaho.
/ There is no uncertainty as to thei
!. productiveness or adaptability to inten
4 sive farming Cultivated lands on ever
+. side similar in nature are ample ev
Fl. dence Of their value The settlement {
q the lands will be simply an extension {
' the present communities with the
c markets, transportation facilitie
b schools and churches, already establish
p ed. None Of the lands will be over te
miles from a railroad, and most Of thel
:, will be Within short distance from
v station. That there Is demand f
II such land is shown by the fact that sin,
n the government land has been witt
/. drawn, 1900 acres have been filed {
}. under the terms of the reclamation ac
a This in spite of the fact that the wit
,s drawal was only temporary, and r
10 pcated warnings have been given tn
IS there is no assurance of governme
work and filings are made entirely
"a the risk o. the individual With Il
ID project once approved the committee b
r. lieye that all the available public laI
10 will he taken in a single season.
The construction OF the propos
o. works means an increase OF the cul
es vated area from 100000 to 1000,
to well as the settlement of the vexi
re questions and contentious now arisi
n. from the effort to make a limit
e. amount Of water do service upon VIII
h is practically an unlimited amount
II land. It means the passing of the pl
moter and ditch manipulation, and |
e, substitution OF the irrieator ard bu
Mt ness man. 1t means that in a few We,
Is, an Advancement can be made that
rc the unaided effort OF the people wot
= never be possible. it means the layi
of the foundation for improved agric
g. tural conditions. for better transpor
he tion facilities and Industries Of eve
SO kind. Above all, it means homes ant
li- living for quarter Of million Of p
ie- pie.
= local market as the market elsewhere