The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-05-31
DRY FARMING
ROJECT A
SUCCESS
GEORGE HOWE, OF SALT LAKE
BRINGS GLOWING REPORTS.
Enterprise In Which He Is Interested
in Cedar Valley, Utah, is
FIourlshine.

J Mr.. George Howe who was former.
| Gently of Salt Lake, was in this city
| yesterday and brings glowing reports
of the dry farming project which is
being carried out by party of men
| with whom he Is interested, near Ce
dar Valley. Utah,
1t will be remembered that Cedar
| Valley was the site of old Cedar
Fort. occupied by Johnson's army
during the stirring pioneer days OF
Utah. The valley was held as a
government reserve until about three
years ago when It was relinquished
and turned over to the state.
Much had been said as to the feasl-
bility of dry farming and the obtain
ing Of water in arid regions, and as a
result of agitation along these lines,
the state appropriated the SUM OF
$4,000 to be used in experimental
work. One hundred thousand acres
of this state land were selected for
the experiments and work was start
ed. One of the first movements was
the drilling of an arteSian well at a
point about the middle of the valley.
which is about nine miles south of
Fairfield and twenty-five miles south
west of Lehi. Utah The well had
10 be sunk 665 feet before water was
reached but their efforts we're we'll
rewarded, the water rising to within
200 feet of the surface of the we'll A
3,200-gallon tank was then erected and
pump put into action. which brings
the water up at the rate of twenty
gallons a minute.
Having solved the question of n wa
ter supply. the attention of those in
charge was turned to breaking the
soil. A 32-horsepower traction en-
CINE plow was secured by means OF
which the heavy clay soil could be
broken. Again their efforts were am
ply rewarded, as the plow has proved
an entire success turning the soil
over at the rate of eighteen acres per
day ever since April 10. There is
sufficient acreage, however, to keep
the plow going all summer. The plow
is set to enable the ground to be
turned over to depth of eleven
inches, the Idea being that by loosen
Ing the soil to this depth, vegetation
growing thereon Will be able to root
much deeper than In ordinary farming.
lnsurinG moisture sufficient to allow
the plant To mature, even after the
long. dry summer has commenced.
Mr.. Howe stated that the land had
been divided into two parts. One of
$4,000 acres Is to be sold for $3.50 per
acre, the proceeds to go for the main
tenance Of the state institutions, and
the remaining $4,000 acres Will be
open to homesteaders.
Two other companies have begun op-
erations on the land and are operat.
Ing steam plows, and a large acreage
has already been planted. The land
Is extremely rich and is expected to
yield large returns At one time in
the early days the valley was a veri-
table meadow, lwhere grass could be
moved and made into hay
The greatest drawback to the prof.
ect is the lack of residences. the only
nearby towns being Fairfield and Ce
dar Fort the combined population of
which would not average more than
thousand.
Wnen the government turned the
land over to the state, 1t reserved
ten-acre tract as federal cemetery,
on which are buried the dead of John
sons army. which was located there
during the pioneer days. The war
department at Washington has auth.
orized extensive improvements on this
cemetery. Improved iron monuments
are being erected. and n strong Iron
fence has been placed around the en-
closure.
There are to be no fences on the
tract. regular herders being employed
to keep livestock off the titled land.
Mr.. Howe Is a member of the Da-
yls-Howe Foundry company of Salt
Lake who, with number of Provo
and American Fork business men are
interested In the dry farming project.