The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-09
RESULTS OF LAND RETALIATION.

| WASHINGTON, April Sine otlcial esu-
mate Of the quantity Of earth 70 be removed
! by excavation for a sea level Panama
! Canal is 200, 27s, 900 cubic yards. The guam
| tity which must be removed for the pur-
pose OF irrigating $1,000 900 acres Of arid
| land in the United States Is impossible Of
accurate estimate, but il IL entirely within
bounds TO assume that 1t will be several
times greater than that which must be
handled in digging the Panama ditch.
| In other words, the aggregate cubic meas
urensnt Of the hundreds OF miles Of small
canals and thousands Of miles OF bitches
which will be required in the completion OF
the plans Of the Reclamation Service will
greatly exceed that Of a single fifty mile
canal for the transit OF ships from ocean to
ocean.
The cost Of the Isthmian olnal will prob
ably be $500, 900 900. The cost Of the irri-
CATION system a. now generally projected
viii be Ave times that. The huge enter
prise at Panama IL actually dwarfed by the
enterprise now under way in this country.
Expert engineers believe IL possible 10
convert Sc, 900 900 Of now useless acres into
highly productive lands. II is estimated
that this can be done at an average cost OF
about SEQ per acre, thus making a total
outlay Of 81 1000 900 When the work
is done these reclaimed lands will be worth
TO their owners from SIS TO 500 per acre.
This, with the real estate Of the towns and
villages which will be built upon them, will
add as stated in an earlier letter, $780,
900 900 TO the taxable real estate valuation
OF the United States. The sum may even
exceed that.
In an area Of such rich productiveness
a population Of $50 people 20 the square
mile would be no more than a conservative
estimate Fifty million acres Is the equiva-
lent Of u, 900 square miles. With $50 peo-
pie 10 the mile, this would furnish homes
and a means Of livelihood for 1900, 600
people. The census Of 1900 shows 10 SSH
7SS people engaged in agricultural pursuits
In the United States. This represents
secs, SOi farm families. Estimated on
similar basis, this assumed population Of
the productive irrigated lands would add
TO our agricultural producers nearly
1000, 900 people. Their labors would add 10
our national wealth 10 the extent Of several
billions Of dollars a year. This, In rough
though not exaggerated estimate, is the
meaning Of the irrigation work which Is
now going on, and whose processes involve
neither taxation nor appropriations from
the national treasury. II u intended that
the work shall pay for itself as it goes on,
and working capital Of more than t25 600
900 IL now on hand, obtained from the sale
Of public lands.
So gigantic a work must and will require
time for It's completion. 1t could be has
tened by appropriations but 1t will probably
proceed a. rapidly as will be warranted by
the Influx Of settlers, The projects already
in process and those approved for early
involve an estimated outlay
Of $40 ,tOO, 900 for their completion. Mean
while, surveys are being made for future
enterprises. In the projects begun and
approved, twelve States and TER itories
are represented. These are Arizola, Cali
fornla, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah,
Washington and Wyoming.
The possible results OF this enterprise
are beyond conception. Most Of us have
some idea, more or less definite, Of the re-
suits OF irrigation by private enterprise in
California, In Colorado, Montana and other
Western areas. California. with nearly
Z. COO, 900 acres Of irrigated land, is doubt
less the best known experience. Through
out the West California's experience IL 10
be repeated, multiplied by twenty-five.
II may well mean q revolution Of our en-
tire agricultural system. With millions
Of acres tubjeot 10 conditions which will
make them twice and perhaps four times
a productive a. the acres Of the humid
region Of the East. cultivators In that re-
gion must bestir themselves in the improve
ment Of their farm methods. Intensive
systems and scientific methods mubt be
adopted II the Eastern farmer would do
more than feed his own family. The oom-
petition Of the new areas should compel
the farmers Of the Eastern and Middle States
70 do that which they should even now do,
In their own interest, without such COM
pnlsion.
Two specific lines Of industrial enterprise
ID which conditions may well be revolu- !
tionizOd By irrigationtare worthy Of special