Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-09-24
irrigation Will Change Deserts TO Gardens and
Provid. Lands for Millions Of Homes.
ROOSEVELTS STRONG, FRIENDLY HAND
Policy that Increases the Sum Of Human
Happiness and Enlarges and Strength
ems the Republic.

conGtrF abound. IN mountains. plains
auI yaHsys II Is here thii the govern
: meaf proposes IL apply the vorsIngs of
the National Irrigation Act aud to re-
claim al uf the arid land which may
be 1seert4ineI 'n be- arabic aud which
I i- found 10 he susceptible S, reela ma
/ l.nn by the amount ~ water available
| Government experts estimate that the
! present amount %, land which may be
I irrigated j. about one hundred million
/ acres. Tins can be RI laim-t by apply
I lug the ampGgt OF water now available.
dirr=t l. : also estimated that after
l irrigation his bsrn sppiei to the soil
{ for ihrse - four year, less quantity
7 or water j. necessary aud hence sn ad-
ii'i1HaI area - Perhap. hrty millions
acres NOR. may possibly r. adisd 10 The
/ reclamation area
N.tare Did the Needfnt.
Nature seems 10 have employed ever,
resource At IL. command Go make the
mountain aud piaia region fhe most fsY-
ured portion II the rarth's surface for
Tie hahitat3an II mat THIS section VIII
one dsy be the seat Of empire ef the
United States. and consequently, the
world F5r a diStHHr. Of more than
fhpusand miles there are successive
tAA4u~ ttE AAlHIltl ANS w tHtlE~'
running north aud south aud on parallel
lines. With Numerous valleys occupying
the Immediate ground.
Each valley. large or small. has it,
stream. carrying. with rapid fail the
melting snow. 81 the tributary noun
taius The grads iu general favor the
operation Of irrigatius canals which
take she water from streams and carry
II at moderate fall TO lines above
the cultivated land As the spring ssa
son aiyanrss the rainfall decrease-. the
crops need more aud more water. which
0. furnished automatically by the gradual
Increase uf the temperature along and
np tbe nsuHtaiH side. rea ching the light
est si~pa<r of snoa first. aud then. during
the later and hotter months, drawing
nppu the reserve Of the deeper snd les
easier melted ige At the higher attitudes.
Fertility Of Arid -oii.
Under The rains of centuries much -
the snilhle plant foods in eastern soils
have bern washed into tho sea. Where
up rainfall exists the plant food remains,
The government aualSSe- OF soils shsW
that i.iss arid lands average threr time.
A. muf.h potash six times - much ma.
ursia ami fourteen times - much lime
~ the humid lands. Any farmer viii
tell van that a limestone country j.
rich country. To replace the f-,,l taken
by growing plants the eastern farmer
rs<arf- Ia fert4iHzcT> and manure. Start
iur wIfI = rich -oii. the irrigatiluist also
hnds fertil5zing strength H the water he
uses The manurii value held IA saia=
tioa ia .iG inches OF wntcr--,he amsunf
applied te oHs acre Ia season AZ the
University af Ariznn, amounted to
500. Ten acres under irrigation aver
as~ better rrturus than 4o,acr- crops. in
the usual way.
Lani VERY Valuable.
In thsse communities Of the west
which hsrs he-u created by irrigation.
the average Yield ~ wheat. potstoe. and
small frsiiis fHr exceeds that ~ the best
farming di<trir, in Iowa or Missouri
er the hest part 81 tue Mississippi Val
Icy. Although compa ratively remote
from the worlds markets FOR prrlnc1.
an acre of land under water rights IN
the very heart bf the ard region. will
command higher price than an acre ia
the humid Missis-ippi Valley. The farm
rrs have learned that 40 acres. well till
.d. will yield more profit than 400 acres
fnrmed IN the old haphaGard way. Iu-
tcnsivr farming aud larger profit. from
siua Her farms are making closely settled
communities. establishing nearby neigh
i,prs. >eliual-. churches aud libra RE-. and
the isolation "f oil farm Life no longer
exists The farmer makes more money
md the deadly monctony ot life Lres
n"t drive his children FROM home. Or
his wife O. the insane a~yMm.
Roosevelt tImunortaiiz-d.
The passage OF the National Irrira-
tion Al i tantampunt to saving that
the west i already relecmed--it j. now
only a question ot tin,r Perhaps na
law has been passed since the founda-
tion Of this government wn.ch has been
or can be SO prolific iu great and last
ing results Ia the United States. No
law hiss ever been enacted which will
add much stability. wealth. hsppi-
ness aud general prosperity to the peo-
pie and the government a. the National
lrri CATION Law.
Here j. new field for the most hope
ful speculation. II cannot he that any
human mind has yet been able TO esti-
mate the fsr-rraching. the fruitful re-
suits which viii follow in the wake Of
this National Act. Lincoln is immortal
ized Tor his Emancipation Proclamation.
Roosevelt will be immorisizei becaus.
he has done that which viii set free
from the thrald,m of the congrSted cen
ter. Of population. millions OF families
who can aud will feel grateful to him
and his memory as they sit under their
own vine aud h-free and enjoy all the
| comforts and ranteutmcnt OF their new
aud enlarged life OF health. happiness
sud usefulness
Make it easy for the average citizen
| ba.,u.s land pwner aud vou