Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1909-09-03
B|GIvA[UES
ON MIN|OOKA
Sub-Irrigation Doing Wonders
For Project Long Retarded
By Adverse Conditions
THREE CUTTINGS OF ALFALFA
Real Estate Prices Around Rupert Have
Doubled in Last -Four Months
Railroad Activity Helps

The Minidoka project is fast coming
into its own and the hopes of the early
settlers are being realized in fact. Big
crops are showing up from all parts of
the project as the result of sub-irriga-
zion and careful cultivation and wild
grass is waving green among the sage
brush where the hand of man is not yet
an evidence.
As result of these conditions and
the branching of new railroad from
Rupert, farm lands have doubled in
value near that city within the past
four months.
These reports were brought in by
Frank Millsaps who recently visited
Rupert and the project for the purpose
of investing in real estate but found
that he was to late too get in on the
ground floor.
For 40 acre ranch close to Rupert
County Assessor Mackey recently offer
ed the owner 5000 but was refused,
when but short time ago it was of
fered at half price with no takers.
The Roy Adams farm adjoining town
contains an alfalfa field that is now
about ready for the third cutting. The
second cutting was made in 80 days
after the first and each crop is heavy
one. Alfalfa that was seeded last
spring has made two cuttings already,
the second one quite heavy.
The public square has raised four
cuttings of blue grass and clover with
out irrigation Trees in the park are
four inches in diameter and only three
years old.
Mr.. Millsaps saw oats that measured
feet, inches in length and had heads
that were IS inches long.
Mr. McQuisten, the banker, has 40
near town that raised a tremendous
crop of wheat this season
and there isn't an rrigating ditch on
the place. Sub-irrigation does the work.
AS an evidence that the entire tract IS
subbing, Mr.. Millsaps saw wild grass 4
inches high growing among the sage
brush and without scarcely a drop of
rainfall this summer it is bright green
and still growing.
The project as a whole is an ideal one
for sub irrigation. First on top is
layer of deep soil, then comes layer
of sand of considerable depth, and un-
der this is layer of clay that holds
water. When water is turned into the
bitches from the irrigating canal the
sand layer finally absorbs enough water
/ to become saturated and enough is
taken up into the soil by capillary at
traction to sustain vegetation of all
kinds.
1t is lso thought by some who have
given the matter thought that the back
water above the Minidoka dam seeps
out on the north side and finds its way
down the valley till it enters the sand
layer underlying the project.
But to control the water level in the
sand layer, drainage canals become
necessary, otherwise the water might
approach too near the surface for pro-
itable farming. With drainage canals
constructed with proper head gates,
the water level in the sand layer can be
controlled to suit the farmer and his en-
tire farm can be cultivated without the
trouble or expense of surface irrigation
and tremendous crops raised every sea-
son whether it rains or not.
BY this system larger acreage can
be cultivated with given force than
by the usual methods of irrigation.
Mr.. Millsaps further noticed that
this was an ideal season on the project
for potatoes and the yield of tubers is
something enormous.
Considerable corn was also doing well
and beans planted among the corn hills
had pods II and Il inches long
The settlers on the project have
waited long for water and have been
subjected to conditions both severe and
unnecessary but now that the fruition
of their hopes is so nearly at hand they
can rejoice at the good times coming
and enter upon the development of the
future with the assurance that their
labor has not been in vain.