The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1908-05-28


., under the overflow OF the klamath
hyer and OF Lower klamath Lake and Tule Lake
ana the irrigation OF about 10000 acres Of valley
'nhd adJaccnt to the Klamath River, along the course
OF Lost River and the tributary portion Of the great
plateau lying chiefly in Klamath County, Oregon but
also embracing u pnrt Of Siskiyou and M0doc Coun
"r"' California. total area of 100000 acres.
The Project embraces the construction Of a very
great ileage OF canas aterals and drainage canals
nhd wili nave its principal source in Upper klamath
Lake Clear Lake and IIorscily are reservoir sites
where Hood water will be unpounded and utilized for
irrigation OF land included in the upper portion Of
the Project.
Work on the main canal was started in the Spring
oi loOO aud the first unit Of nine miles il now CON-
plecd. About 1900 Of land will be irrigated
from the first unit, the latcras for which being
constructed under the supervision Of the engineers
having charge Of the Project. BY far the largest
proportion OF the land under the first unit now in
sngcbrush and must be cleared and broken ia time
Tor crops in the Spring Of 1903 Work the
ond unit IL being done by the Government and Elm.
braces nineteen miles Of main canal and twentysi
miles OF aterals to furnish water to about 10000
additional acres Of land. Work on this unit will be
prosecuted as rapidly aa possible.
Nearly onehalf of the area to be irrigated is
under water 10 n depth Of from one TO fifteen feet
and will be reclaimed by n system Of drainage to
lower the level Of the rivers and lakes large part
oi the swamp land and practically all Of the valley
land in the Klamath Basin are held in private own.
crship and some IN very large tracts which must be
tons governing the perfection of a water.right
KLhMATH'S For its development and pros
GREATEST perity the klamath Basin must have
NEED people, and the right kind Of people
at that Its great need ID intelli.
gent practical farmers, who understand the meaning
OF intensihed and diversified farming; men who will
buy land not for speculative purposes but with the
idea Of clearing OF the sagebrush and making per.
manent and comfortable homes. Such men are bound
to succeed There is room for thousands Of them.
Developing Sugar beets have been grown ex.
Various rcrimen,ally throughout the Klam.
Industries ah Valley. The percentage of sugar
is high, will be noted from the
following analysis made by the United States De.
partmcnt of Agriculture from beets grown near
sugar in bccts, per cent, 2l.7 sugar in juice per
cent, ~ ; cocicicnt OF purity s3l.
Experience hns demonstrated that excellent
paragus onions and celery can be grown, the tule
lands being very similar 10 those of the Sacramento
and san Joaquin Valleys of California, where such
vegetables are so successfully cultivated. Through
out the world the reclaimed marshands the best
suited for the highest development of dairy inter-
ests
There il no question that this will become n sugar
beet producing section and that number of facto-
rics will be built and operated with the development
Of the industry.
All kinds of fruit adapted TO the temperate zone
thrive hcrc-apples, peaches pears cherries prunes,
plums apricots and ncctarincs do well, and small
fruits bear abundantly and of excellent quality.
There are a great many small orchards throughout
the basin that prove the adaptabity of the region
to the profitable production of fruit.
T.. l.. Smith, former president of the Oregon State
Board of Horticulture gives il as his opinion that
the foothill lands specially adapted to apple
growing.
Cultivation of the potato has passed beyond the
experimental stage the sandy loan Of the uplands
producing them in great abundance.
Klamath County wheat grown without irrigation,
took the premium at the New Orleans Exposition.
The most important forage crop is alfalfa, the soil
being peculiarly adapted to its growth.
Excess All landowners being required
Holdings Must to sell their excess holdings, there
Be Sold large area OF good land for sale
at reasonable figures, prices rang
ing from about $l5 to $35 for uninproved, and $40
TO $50 per acre Tor improved land. Land adjacent
to the principal towns commands higher prices. The
purchaser pays for the water right at cost OF about
$lS per acre to be paid for in ten equal annual in.
stallments without interest. This amounts to less
than the ordinary annual rental paid private ditch
companies. Some OF the irrigators OF klamath Val
ley land they the most prosperous farmers) have
already paid out to such companies for water 500 per
acre and 6wn no water. All of these companies have
been purchased by the Government and included in
the system.
No public lands will be open for settlement for
several years.
Climate The upland soil is mainly rich sandy
and loan Of great uniformity and composed
Soil largely of disintegrated and srOded lava
with an admixture Of volcanic ash and