Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-21
MORE BROAD ACRES
FOR THE PEOPLE
GREAT FIELD OF ACTIVITY FOR
PRODUCERS
Official Report of Secretary of Agri-
culture WlIson-$4o, ,oo0, 900 Ex-
pended for irrigation Of
Semi-Arid Sections

The United States government says
that there will be 100000 more acres
of land reclaimed by irrigation ready
for the farmer in 1908. Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson in his report says:
b During the past five years construc-
tion of irrigation works has outrun
settlement. During that time the gov
ernment has expended $40,000,000 in ir-
rigation construction, and private par
ties at least an equal amount. A can
vass recently made indicated that as a
result of this activity there would be
at least 100000 acres of unreclaimed
land provided with a water supply
ready for settlement in 1908. The cost
of preparing this land for irrigation
and providing the equipment for sue
cessful farming will be fully as great
as the cost of building the canals to
bring water to it, so that when the
canals are built the work of reclama-
this is but half done. The safety or
this whole investment In irrigation
works and in the preparation of the
land for use, al |, what is more i'm
portant, the safety of thousands OF
future homes, depend upon the use of
proper methods both in the preparation
Of the land and in the subsequent use
of water The cost of the irrigation
works, whether they are built by the
government or by private parties. must
be repaid by the settlers, and their
success or failure means success OF
failure for the projects. These set
tiers must come largely from sections
where irrigation is not practiced. and
will be unfamiliar with the use of
water.
Mistakes Suggested
Mistakes in the preparation Of the
land and in the adoption of methods
of applying water are costly not only
in the time and labor lost, but also in
decreasing crop returns, and, in addi-
ton, they come at a critical time, when
payments for land, water, implements.
stock and food are ALI pressing. 1t is
our endeavor to aid the settlers at this
crucial time by telling them how to do
the work with the least expenditure of
time and money, and in such a way as
to get the best results. This is done
through bulletins, the giving of prac-
tical directions through personal ad-
vice by the more experienced of our
field men and through demonstration
farms established under cooperative
agreements with local parties, with
state experiment stations and with
the reclamation service of the depart
ment of the interior
In the semi-arid region the four ir-
rigation extension farms established
last year have been maintained. Each
is situated where no large supply OF
water Is available and where most OF
the land mnst be farmed without irri-
cation. These stations are to deter
mine and demonstrate the possibilities
and cost of irrigation with the small
water supplies which can be made
available in these regions in the hope
that the irrigation of a small area
in connection with the use of drought
resistant crops and intensive cultiva-
ton on a much larger area may enable
settlers to successfully maintain homes
on the high plains, which otherwise
must be devoted to grazing only.
The rush of settlement in this region
in the past few years is in many re-
spects similar to previous waves which
have swept over it, and many have
feared a repetition of the former dis
asters which wrecked so many homes
and lives. 1t is to guard against this
that we are making every effort to
provide the settler with means of
pulling himself through the years OF
drought, while looking to the wet years
for his profit.