The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-22
VAST TRACTS OF DESERT
LANDS MADE FRUITFUL
Water and the Plentiful Sunshine
MAXI the Country a Veritable
Garden Spot-The Fruit State
of the Union.
BY HERBERT VANpERHOOF,

better exempllned than IN the phenOme-
nal growth of the city of Boise and the
country.
Recent statistics give Boise a popula-
ton of 10000, number which, Judging
from present indications. bids fair to
years. To the enterpr1s1ng spirit of Its
early settlers must be attributed much
Of Bosses prosperity.
True, the site possessed great natural
advantages but in order to utilize these
much patient labor was necessary. It
was no easy task to reclaim the vast
acres of arid sagebrush land, but the
combination of strong hands and saga
cious brains proved irresistible, and, with
the irrigation system once established,
the vexed problem was solved and the
desert blossomed forth into fruitful gar
dens Of commerce.
Boise was not built In a. day: lit did
not suffer from the mushroom growth
to existence In the course Of a single
night, vanishes from off the map with
equal suddenness. The growth of Boise,
while rapid, was steady and vigorous,
and its future was assured from the
first. -.
The center of magnificently .produc-
tive region, the scattering of the riches
Of the soil broadcast advertised it in a
fashion not to be denied. Homeseekers
with small and large amounts Of capital
to invest saw the evidence Of prosperity
and seized readily upon the opportunities
offered them by fortune. The import
ance: Of the country as a great agricul
tural, fruit, mining, and stock section
had become an established fact
Vast Sums Being Spent.
It IS estimated that over $15,000,000
are being expended In Boise in various
and buildings, public and
private. Also there must not be forgotten
the government reclamation projects in
the Boise and Payette valleys, which
greatly.
The casual visitor to Boise cannot fail
to be impressed by its solid" appear
mittedl the phrase. The substantial bust
ness blocks, fine hotels. and handsome
public buildings that greet the eye on
eyer every e SIDE so ere ample proofs of bed
similarly impressed BY the brisk air Of
CHEEKY confidence which characterizes
the average 1nhabitant. The wall Of the
pessimist is unheard Of in Boise: The
rays OF 1daho's golden sunshine.
Let us take glance at the Boise
country. the source of the riches which
have astonished the outside world. In
this fertile valley are produced in lavish
quantities. fruits Of all. kinds, which. find
a. ready market, not only In all parts of
this country, but in Europe. More than
3e0 car loads OF fruit. We're shipped from
Boise last year to New York, Boston:
Glasgow, the average value being over
81, 900 q car. =,
Fame Of Boise Pears.
The Boise pear has no superior Even
the celebrated California Bartlett pear
falls far short Of the Boise variety. The
world s record price was broken by
Eotce pears in the Gotham market during
1904, as they brought 50 box and net.
ted their owners, ST. a box. -
II don't believe: have ever seen q
better fruit producing region than this, u
1 remarked to an old settler in the Boise
valley.
You can go one better than that" he
replied dryly. land say that you never
Ing about. Tor I I've BEEN " In the e. fruii
raising business all my life. Why, take
the pears alone, man, and see the profit
that's in them.
you Boxes Of feh raf Pant % ' ~
trees to the acre, and they'll bring yor
find a better investment than a Boise
pear orchard I'd like to know where Il
is. You've got to show me-"
Realizing that couldn't SHOW him.
I was silent. The country is marvel
and that's all there is to It,. Be it re.
ed apples and pears, there is no lack o.
the other varieties. Peaches, apricots
plums,, prunes. cherries, grapes, straw.
berries, raspberries, blackberries, cur.
rants. gooseberries,. all flourish luxuri'
antly. And, best of all, there is a never
failing cash market for every pound Of
fruit raised in the valley
Certainly the man who aspires to take
hand in the fruit raising industry can.
not do better than purchase; land In THU
vicinity. A ten-acre tract, set out ir
winter pears or winter apples, will pro-
vide comfortable. living for large
family. There are 100000 acres of lant
now subject to cu Y Vat in the Boise
All of this land Is lying under: one o.
the twelve large irrigating canals, and
can be purchased at small prices. 1T
value is rapidly increasing, however, ant
his appearance on the Scene the better
are his chances for cheap and profitable
investment :
Excellent wheat is produced. In thu
Boise Irrigated lands. Basket for bushe
it weighs from five to seven pounds NOR.
tested. Oats yield as high as 40 bushels
to the acre. weighing forty-lve pound:
to the bushel. ..
Alfalfa and Other Crops.
Timothy, alfalfa and clover grow II
rich profusion. Every season two crop!
to five tons; to the acre, and three crops
of alfalfa. producing from six to nin'
tons to the acre, reward the exertions O
the agriculturist: A good market for thi'
hay is furnished by the stockmen, VIII,
bring large herds Of sheep and CATTLE
down from the mountains for the winter
All varieties of vegetables flourish
we'll in the valley The potatoes are o
an unusually fine quality, extremel.
bnSe aq I'd Se oMne 200 to a.
ial mildness Of the climate crop failures
are utterly unknown. The elements flgh
for instead OF against the Boise agricul
turist. -. 800
Dairying has enlisted the attention o
large number of spectators. There Il
always a steady market demand To-
poultry of all kinds. - -
"A, feature that must not be overlooked
great increase Of population in both, cit.
and country during the past year ha|
resulted In a; decided boom Of the lum
Der trade; New homes are being bull
are working their mills at top speed il
order to meet the demand on their Re
sources. - T.
The timber supply in this section i
practically unlimited. Immense forests 20
pine fir and tamarack line the mountai,
ranges near Boise. These are cut int,
logs as required, and floated down TIN
Boise river or its tributaries to the mills
where they are manufactured into differ
ent kinds of lumber. 81. - t,3. II
From $50 to SIS an acre are the pre-
vailing prices for improved farms nea
Boise at the. present time of writing. Tn
improved land can be had from $25 to SIS,
per acre. These conditions In the lant
of sunshine offer the chance Of q life.
time to the ambitious immigrant Iii
search Of a home and q comfortable income