Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1906-10-13

tensions are in operation the project
will irrigate nearly 100000 acres Of
land that two years ago was rs barren
as any section of the great Americn
desert The irrigation plant has been
constructed at a cost of several mil
lions, not dollar of which came from
the government.
The promoters are Idaho men and
Pennsylvania capitalists. II, *, Far
ris, the chief engineer in charge Of the
project, stated that it had been oper-
ated successfully from its completion
without any change in the original
plans along which it had been con
structed. The lands embraced in the
Twin Falls irrigated district were seq
rrgated under the Carey act and are
sold to settlers for fifty cents an acre,
The water rights cost sos an acre, the
payments being distributed over p"
Rod Of ten years with 6 per cent in
te' est, with the privilege Of final pay
,nt at any time. Since the irriga-
ten project has been put into opera
ti,n settlers have taken over 100000
acres
Nearly all Of the land is in cult
tion. The staple crop Is alfalfa,
Some of the finest fruit Of the north
west is raised on this tract. With the
uycning of the new country towns
have sprung up almost in day. Less
than two years ago the site of the
town of Twin Falls was a desert
waste, Today it is one Of the most
important shipping points on the Ore
ecr Short Line railroad in Southern
llaho. The towns of Bull and Kim
berly, in the same irrigation division,
mc also new towns that are building
rapidly
One of the most extensive and cost
Ily irrigation prospects under the gov
comments direction is also in South
crn Idaho Water for this project is
taken from the Snake. Near Minido-
ka, a station on the Oregon Short
Line, the government has built dam
of the crock filled" type. 1t is 700
feet long and eighty-fve feet high.
On the north side the water will be
distributed by gravity from this dam
and on the south side by gravity
ditch eight miles long From this
ditch the water can be conveyed to n
reservoir and then by means of pumps
to higher levels. Power to operate
the pumps will be generated at the
dam by the water passing the waste
ways being forced over turbines,
The main canals and branches anC
distributaries have a total length ol
rbout 300 miles. The gravity system
81 canals, which will be completed
within the coming year, will irrigat'
some $4,000 acres. By means of tn,
pumping system 10000 acres on tn,
Ligher levels will be reclaimed Th'
Lands in the Minidoka tract are gov
g ment lands and are taken by set
tiers under the homestead laws. Th'
first cost Of these lands is simply thu
filing fee for u government homested
Where homesteader sells his i'm
provemcnts the price asked is usual,
no more than covers the actual cost OF
the original entryman, The govern
ment engineers estimate the maximum
cost of the water rights at about $2t
an acre. The government is also con
structing project in the Fayette Val
ley that will reclaim many thousands
Of acres of desert lands The govern
ment projects alone in the state oi
Idaho will cost over $l2,0OO,OOO.
The rule of the irrigated countr!
is the small farm. In many of the ir
rigated tracts the land has been plat
ted into what are known as "farn
units" Each farm unit consists o.
rmty or eighty acres, except thos'
lying within radius Of n mile and {
half of the towns. To the visitoI
from sections of the country who dc
rot require irrigation it is somewha
Duzzling that land in the irrigated
West is often more valuable thar
lpnd in the humid Middle States.
This is largely due to the fact tina
every acre Of irrigated land can b'
made to yield its best crop ever,
year Summer fallow is not know
N an irrigated country. Rotation o.
crops cleans the land. The annuo
weeds so troublesome to grain crop'
10 not bother the alfalfa, which j.
out before the weeds 60 to seed, ant
Inc perennial pests Of the hay ticlC
cannot stand the annual cultivation
Of the grain. Where diversified farm
ing is practicable, where the crops re
nirinc much moisture and those re
qniring little can be grown side BY
idc, changes Of crop can be mad,
Ir.tQuently enough to prevent the Ian
Lccoming foul. The quality of tn,
land has much to do with the croI
which should be attempted, but wher'
he soil is uniformly good and the eli
nate conditions are right the amoun
n - 4