The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-03
Great Work That Irrigation Has
Done and Is Doing in Reclaim
ing the Waste Places Of Idaho
for Man 8 Use.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTS
IN THIS VAST OPERATION
Mountain Home the Location Of
What Is Said to Be One Of the
Best Irrigation Plants Existing
in the State.
sv HERBERT vANpERHooF.


There are two subjects that the aver
age Idaho citizen never tires Of discuss
ing. One Of these is irrigation. and the
other is the productiveness Of his soil.
Therefore, the great work that the gov
is doing out there in constructing
reservoirs for irrigation purposes is be-
ing watched with the keenest interest.
This work means that many thousands
Of acres of land that is now a desert, and
coyotes. will become the dwelling place
OF thousands OF people, and will raise
crops Of such magnitude as would appear
incredible to the eastern farmer. Water
does 1t, and that Is why irrigation Is SO
topic In Idaho.
The pioneers OF Idaho were not led
there by: the thirst for land. It was the
the sands of many Of its rivers, especial
ly the greatest of them all, the Snake. arc
rich in the precious metal. But the rain
fall is slight eaga for agrieultura
almost perpetual, sunshine, with one OF
the finest climates on earth. 1t has
neither excessive heat In summer I'M , nor Sc,
It's atmosphere makes 1t one OF the most
healthful spots in the world.
The transformation that takes place n
onto them is miraculous: No matter
what the crop is that is being raised it ts
certainty to the farmer. He knows
Llat IL Is SOlUS 10 DS d SuCCSSS, whDeiASE
he has planted his land to wheat, or to
root crops, or fruit. He knows: because
he is his own rainmaker. and give crops
n and g9Gd r SOIL p sna Hence mo 5
Idaho farmer is the richest farmer in the
world. When the Kansas farmer sees the
hot winds burning, up his wheat or corn.
gates and lets it on them. He gives the
water just when It is needed. and IN JUST
in the irrigated districts of the state sells
all the way from 800 to $500 an acre.
Yet this same land before irrigation
would not bring so cents an acre. or was
sired it.
The Extent Of Irrigation.
There are over 100000 acres Of irrigated
lands in Idaho now, and when the governs
ment and other works that are under con.
| struction are finished this acreage will be
enormously Increased. For the govern.
ment is not the pioneer in this great work
of reclamation. Private capital led the
ties that are back of irrigation. Not
that there is anything new In the princil
pie. 1t has been practiced for thousands
past masters in the art, and in India and
the Egypt Of today irrigation is conduoted
on the same plans that were in use 5000
Down in Gilmore county, in southern
Idaho is one. Of the best and most conn
plete irrigation systems that the state
boasts. At least that's. what they say
was talking on the train with an old gen.
tleman on my way to Idaho. and. OF
course, he began to talk irrigation ana
STRUGGLING at Minidoka.
ting me on the shoulder, that's worth
while seeing, Of course. But you take
my advice and visit Mountain Home
There you'll see a system Of irrigation IN
State State. and you'll see see one Of the paradise
spots of this country. And you'll also
see one of the prettiest little towns in
Mountain Home that you ever set your
began to get interested in the subject.
and asked him how big town Mountain
"oh, it isn't so big a place--about l,soeg
homes you ever saw. and they, do business
there. Why, they have hotel that cost
In a town Of 1900 population. I bet," =
ised that + would visit Mountain, Home;
emsgerate in the slightest degree. The
town is certainly beauty and the couns
try for miles about is simply one vast
garden. And water did 1t all.
- "A Vast Storage System. aiat
The system Of irrigation at Mountain
Home Is by means OF storage. reservoirs
and canals which connect them. These
and the water is retained in them By
enormous dams, Of anywhere from forty
sixty feet in height an 91s ba is o a9Sgt
at distances varying from fifteen miles TO
Atty. There are three in all, and e
fourth one is now almost completes;
company mmya to irrigate $4,000 additional
acres Of land. This great system IS
7 owned by the Great Western Beet Sugar
,, time over $3.50, 900. By the time the work
is finished it will cost 5000, 900 more.
had been under the impression that
in these reservoirs, but was mistaken.
This water is taken from the streams
that flow from the mountainous country,
! where the snow falls in winter to depth
the spring and summer as this snow melts
9 It Is conducted into these great reservoirs,
t instead Of being allowed to run to wastes
Then 1t Is fed out as needed by the farms
In the immediate vicinity Of Mountain
t Home are many thousands Of acres Of
!. desert that on the completion Of thiS
$ for Df Farming purposes in the world. This
land is all subject to entry under the
home stead or desert land law. The des.
land law preVas That ee any s sosss
land. The price is $1.2b an acre. para
4 bic IS cents at the time Of entry and the
$ remainder at any time in four years.
o The irrigation company sells perpetual
d rights to water for land under completed
b bitches at from $40 to $50 an acre, and
gives the new settler easy terms OF pay
ment. A perpetual right relieves the
!, purchaser from all charges for mainte5
% nance, and also carries with 1t the right te
demand and receive in perpetuity during
!, the irrigation season q sufficient amount
q Of water to keep the land properly ifris
= gated. When the canals have been COM
y pleted and all the water rights sold. the
:. reservoirs and canals then become th1
=. property Of the actual settlers and vii
d be operated by them.
a Great Beet Growing Country.
% The country about Mountain Home e
: especially adapted to the cultivation 'o
! the sugar beet, It having been proved thu.
., beets grown there contain larger per
., centage Of sacoharine matter than thcB'
q raised In any other part OF the country
\. Not only that, but they can grow NOR,
: beets to the acre on the land about Moan
in most beet growing states twelve q
fifteen tons is considered good yield, :
to Mountain Home the soil VIII Yield any
se where from twenty to twenty five tons
e and as beets are always Contracted 10
n before they are planted the farmer know
20 almost to a dollar what his income "a
=, the year IS going to be.
r. Mountain Home Is undoubtedly going I
u become a. great sugar producing secfioY
he It IL the intention OF the company owIiin
MT the reservoir and canal system, as aeon 4
,dsl they have enough land under oultivxfidI
g to- erect there large and most modGf