The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-01-01
Cost of Building Works Higher.

and this TACT affeCtS many OF Ine lTrl-
CATION projects in the hands of the
government. 1t will be necessary for
the government to increase its esti-
mates of completing certain of the
projects in the west accordingly. The
reclamation service derives its funds
for immediate use from the public
land transactions conducted by the
general land office, and these funds
have increased beyond what was an
ticipated during the past fiscal year,
thereby enabling the reclamation serv-
ice to secure larger appOrtionments OF
money to carry on it's work. AS the
funds from the general land office are
still on the increase, it is not expected
that the reclamation service will find
itself embarrassed for lack OF money.
The Kattao Falls Irrigation Co. has
been incorporated in Spokane county
with a capital of 100000 to utilize
the water of the Columbia river on
several thousand acres of land. H. }
Cole, of Spokane, is one of the promo
tiers of the plan.
The Chelan Electric Co., which re-
Gently bought the control OF the Cl'c-
ian Water Power Co., has just secured
the riparian rights of a number Of
land owners along the Chelan river.
four miles, anad will put in an irriga-
ton plant in Chelen county.
The Spokane Valley Land and Wa
ter Co. has been successful in con
demnation proceedings for the ripa-
rian rights to an arm of Liberty lake.
The jury which heard the case in the
Spokane superior court awarded K
Madison damages to the extent OF
$4,000.
Col. w. M. Ridpatch and former
United States Senator George Turner
of Spokane, have plans to irrigate l.
165 acres and drain 400 acres at Priest
RAPIDS on the Columbia river. The
ditch for the drain will be three miles
long and as soon as it is completed In
the spring a system OF intensified
farming will be taken up.
The increased cost Of labor and ma
terial in so far as it affects the work
of the reclamation service, Is not ex
DoCIGQ
ton of the Tieton irrigation project in
Washington state. 1t is said the secre-
tary of the interior is considering the
matter of allotting to this project the
sum of $125,000 instead of $4,000, in
order to carry out the work as orig
inally planned.
A dispatch from Chewelah, Stevens
county, says that at drainage meet
ing held there recently great interest
was taken in the matter of draining
the Colville river valley overfowing
lands at and south of Chewelah. A
committee of three consisting of S. P.
Carmichal, Elisha Tarble and A. MORT
son, were appointed with power to
have the overlooked land cross Sec
toned this winter, while there is ice
to facilitate surveying. 1t is planned
to have 12 miles of the valley drained
by next fall.
Much has truthfully been said in
favor of the Campbell process Of till
age and soil manipulation as method
to conserve the moisture and thus pro-
duce profitable crops in semiarid and
even in arid districts. Much also may
be said in approval OF seed selection
and the adaptation of species to arid
conditions. But we should bear in
mind that when all is said and when
all due Acknowledgements are made,
the fact remains that we must look to
localities where irrigation is practic-
able for the greatest successes IN
many sections of the west.
John and Alexander Mathews, of
Texas City, Wash, have put into oper-
alton in the Snake river a patented
current water wheel, which promises
to revolntiOnize methods of irrigation,