The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1906-01-06
THE DESERT
IRRIGATION or s72. 900 ACRES
Estimaasd Cost Of the work eILy0o0'-
ooo-Farm Values wiz Be IncreAssd
s2e,zes.Oee Paystss- BsIss Pres-
peel.

Thse Washington %. c. Star Of
recent date contains an interesting
interview from Senator Dubois on the
development Of the state, from which
we take the following:
''It is no reflection on other parts
OF the west TO state that Idaho, These
days, furnishes the most instructive
example Of marvellous development 70
be found west Of the Missouri river
remarked Senator Dubois.
''lt is Well-nigb impossible 10 keep
up with the forward strides we are
making in every ehsnBel Of trade and
industry, but the development Of our
latent agricultural resources is most
remarkable.
From the bead waters Of the Snake
river on the eastern borders, extend
ing nearly across the state, 9 perfect
network Of irrigating bitches has
+ been cor instructed. and the great
Snake river desert If dotted every
where with Gases Of bloom and fruit
age: more than one million acres Of
land once absolutely worthless have
been wrested from aridity aud are
now producing crops worth annually
not less than SIS. coo. 600 More
than $50, GOO, 600 has been added to
the taxable wealth Of the state by
this work Of conqueriue the desert
News comes TO me today that the
secretary q the Interior has enally
approved the plans and estimates Of
she engineers Of the reclamation ser
vice for the largest irrigation project
in the west in poiMt of area reclaimed
and total cost Of the works. IL is
called the Psyeete Boise project and
provides for the irrigation Of 372, 600
acres Of land, more than twice the
total cultivated area Of Rhode Island
The estimated cost Of the works is
sIl. 600, GOO or shout $50 per scre.
3 The plans provide for some re
markable changes in the physical
conditions of the valleys Great
dams In the Psyette aud Boise rivers
will store the foods a these streams.
? From the former stream = broad ca
nal. running along a lie Of foot
bills aud passing through the divide
between the rivers, will carry a sur
plus flow 10 the Payette river Into the
valley Of the Boise; here q network
O. canals aud bitches, many Of which
J are now In operation, will furnish
. water 70 nearly 500 square miles Of
country. No other section OF the
f., west presents a mote attractive Geld
for national reclamation than these
valleys. The lands lie az an eieya-
ton Of from >, 100 TO >, 500 feet.
and the climate is the very best
( found in the arid region. the winters
being moderate. tie thermometer
rarely reaching zero: there is free
" dom from wind, and an unusual
number OF bright, suushiny days
mark the winter mouths. The sum
mers are long aud warm, and with ir-
rigation promote the most rapid veGe-
table growth. The soil is rich, pro-
duCtive and adapted 20 all fruits aud
cereals Of the temperate zone. All
decigipous fruits and berries produce
abnndantly Apples aud fruits are In
ready demand In eastern markets.
where they bring The highest prices.
The average size Of irrigated
: farms OF this ssciion Of tha staae 10
forty acres. and the average valas par
acre Of irrigated land, sceosdiag TO
the last census. is Ess. The value
of farm property PEI farm i e. loco,
including building, improvements,
machinery and lire stock. The gross
income per farm, not including pro.
duce led to live stock, In 1900 was
Ell, aga
: Using the above unit averages,
the results Of the successful compile
tion of this great irrigation project
NAV be briefly summed up as fol
=, lows:
" New farms, 50, 500, 600; lncreas,
In irrigated land In acreage, ga. zoe
value Of new farms al s5s per acre
SIS, 7T6. 900; value Of farm proper
!; ~, including live stock, Si2. 4s0.
coo; total increase Ia farm values,
y S2s, 200. 600; total gross annual In
come from new farms, So. 732. 600.
The Paystte- Boise project alou,
will add ~ per cent to the valus O
: farm property and 81 per cent 10 th'
gross income from farms ia idaho. >
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