The new age. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1896-1905, 1906-06-23
Conquest !. .: Great
American Desert


Irrigation u going to Be Z succeas,
Days the Boston Transcript The third
inquiry by the House COMMITTEES on this
enterprise has brought out evidence
that appears to justify confidence In
the results. The Secretary Of the In
terror has testified that including the
irrigation projects under construction
and those contemplated and approved
but not begun, there Will have been
spent In two years from the last Of
next June $37,00O,oo while the esti-
mated receipts from the operations Of
the law up to that time will be about
half million more than that amount.
In addition a return of about a million
Is expected from settlers on irrigated
lands
Irrigation was one Of the forces upon
which the late Prof. Shaler laid empha-
sis when enumerating the resources
upon which we could depend to meet the
needs Of an ever-increasing population.
But It was not the only one. We must
utilize the dixie and drain as well as
the canal. We must fertilize the now
arid desert by giving the moisture that
1t requires, but we must not forget that
there are vast reaches of almost ex-
haustless fertility now submerged that
will blossom as the rose when the wat
ers that cover them have been drawn
on. 1t has been estimated that lrriga.
ton will ultimately bring into cultiva-
ton and generous production 100000
600 acres that are now barren and for
bidding. We have begun reclamation
at this end, and perhaps It Is the nat.
ural end; but no sooner L. 1t under
taken than the opposite enterprise is
more strongly suggested. This, II car
ried to Its approximate limit, would |
free as much more In all parts of the
country Of Its watery burden, and open
It up to the service and support Of man.
There are In the United States in the
of 100,OOO,OoO acres of
swamp land, of which about 10000, 900
have been surveyed. These are located
east west, north and south, or all over
he country. The weird Everglades of
Florida, II drained and cleared, as en-
yineers now claim they can be, would
Dive 100000 acres of the finest farm
ng land In the world New Jersey and
Virginia possess vast swamp lands. I'LL
lois has 100000 acres of them, Min
lesota. 100000; Michigan. 100000,
Ind Iowa, 100000. In every State
here are swamps of greater or less ex-
emit which would be It's choicest treas
Ire II once put into tillabls condition.
These suggestive facts are behind the
steensrson bill, now before Congress,
similar economic treatment of
he submerged lands that the govern
nent Is now giving to It's arid tracts.
Perhaps In some cases the work Of
along these lines would be
more expensive. In others 1t would
be less 20. The necessary un.
would b vast. but II sue
,essful the rewards would be vastar
rhe two enterprises u~--'4 nays the
OF adding to our pro-
luctlve area, and equal in extent to
more than six times that Of the State
# New York, or about a tenth Of our
'ntire territory, including Alaska, and
t would be soil of unexampled fertil-
ty. With such reclamation many 9TH
II problems now formidable, like gen
raj sanitation, the mosquito crusade,
Ind so forth. would be much simplitied.
There Is hardly a New England farmer
,ut has one swamp or more that would
% the best part Of his holding could
1e but bring 1t into subsection. 1t Is a
question of engineering and upon such
questions the light Is breaking all over
he country.