The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-04-25
ENCOURAGES IRRIGATION.
Government Not Opposed to Private
Irrigation Schemes.


federal government is encouraging
small irrigation enterprises. contrary
to the general impression. In the west.
lone of the most active divisions OF
1.-The agricultural department is that
of irrigation and drainage investiga-
| tion. F. C. Herman, one of its en-
gineer5, with assistants has travelled
extensively through the western
states and now makes a statement
which contains valuable information
for ranchers who desire to develop
smaller plants than those available
to large capital and extensive recla-
nation of acreage.
Probably the action of some of the
men who represent the government
in the western reclamation service
have justified that belief that the
government desires to monopolize the
irrigation business. But it appears
to be the settled policy to encourage
the smaller plans of men who can
reclaim even SO little as $40 acres
under the desert land laws.
MIR. Herman tells some tales
which are not built on the theory
that there will be no hardships in
developing these smaller plants.
Il have noticed" he says, that
the settlers on the desert lands are
deadly in earnest and that they en-
dure hardship and self denial often
before they bring their enterprises to
success. But the returns justify the
hard work, and the lack of capital
often need be no bar, because the
local banker usually will back a
scheme which has for its object the
addition of wealth to the locality and
especially when the plans are broach-
ed by men or a man of known hon
esty and desire to protect credit.
Development is Wonderful.
"The development of the west has
been wonderful. Vast areas have
been reclaimed from the desert
wastes, and this has added to the
wealth of the nation materially. But
in many localities the question of
water supply is serious to the smaller
operator on farm and ranch and he
must witness the floodtime waters
rush down the mountainsides doing
damage instead OF assisting in the
creation of wealth.
"The small irrigation plant is
within the reach of almost any farm
err. 1t need not be that expensive
engineering skill is employed, either,
and most intelligent men of industry
can carry through their enterprise to
success if only they have the perse-
verence and ordinary knowledge OF
water and irrigation
Mr.. Hermann then illustrates the
idea by citing the experience of Mr..
Harris, who in the west developed a
plan which now is paying him good
return on the small investment. Mr..
Harris had $40 acres of desert lands.
He expended total of $40 an acre
in buying the land from the govern
ment and building two bitches, one
I1A and the other three miles long.
He had $50 acres of alfalfa to irri-
gate. From this he figured conserva-
lively on three tons an acre a year,
at market value of IS. He knew that
ordinarily he would lose about 10
per cent a year during the severe
| winter from his sheep bands. He e5-
timated that sheep eats 4 pounds
of hay a day, and for 80 days Of win
ter feeding $500 sheep could be fed
on the $50 acres. He also found
that this good care of his sheep in
creased the wool clip one pound, be-
sides improving the value of the fiber
which did not have the breaks"
caused by intermittent cold and
warm spells when sheep are poorly
! fed. His results were shown in the
following table:
The Results in Figures.
! Gain in wool, 2500 pounds at
20 cents -. IS 500
Gain in mutton, $4,000 pounds
at cents -. 1850
Gain in avoiding range losses,
$50 sheep at 81 .......... 1000
Gross gain. 2,foU
From which deduct:
Cost of farming at Sc an acres 900
Interest ON investment ...... $50
Gross deductions ........$1,0 S0
Net gains LOU
Not a grand scheme, involving the
reclamation of vast areas, With the
cost running into the millions, and
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