The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-05-21
MASTERS OF THEIR DESTINY.
Why Idaho Farmers Are Indifferent
TO Varying Weather Con-
(litiOns.

ri TO Varying Weather Con-
81 ditiOns.
Mr.. G. B. HURT of Boise, Idaho
commissioner to the st. Louis exposi
tion from Idaho, while In Chicag
recently, incarceration with q mum
Der Of newspaper men, brought GU
with great clearness one Of the rea
ts0ns why Idaho has succeeded SO won
tderfuily In developing its irrigate
lands. In the course OF conversation
lon western affairs, Mr.. HURT express
Led the belief that Idaho was grow
ling as no other western state ha,
lever grown. E
lqgc'Not only Is our population in
fcreasing rapidly he said, "but tn,
increase i0f our material wealth Il
lpropOrtionately. very much greater.
4l"This Is accounted for In large par
because the Idaho farmer on irrigated
LANDS Is the master Of his own des
tiny. He can supply moisture t
growing crops at just the time and ii
lust the quantity needed to secure
perfect results. The growing sea
son with him is one Of almost per.
petual sunshine, with the air SO DIR,
and warm that plant life appears tc
delight In the opportunity for growth
Where farmers depend upon rainfall
for sufficient moisture to insure de-
velopment OF vegetation, rains may
come a day or a week too soon OF
too late, and crop may be lost. AS
matter of fact 1t is almost impossi-
BILE to imagine a perfect season for
the farmer who is dependent upon
rainfall. With the farmer on irri-
gated lands the very reverse is true.
From seed time to harvest he makes
his own conditions Moisture is furn-
ished to plant life on the very day
and hour when most beneficial, in
exactly the right quantity, and it is
Withdrawn at precisely the right time.
1t is not to be wondered at then that
where fine lands in the rain belt pro-
duce crops OF grain varying from IS
to 80 bushels per acre, practically
similar lands in irrigated Idaho are
producing from SO to 10 bushels an
acre.
TO carry this argument little
further said Mr.. HURT, 1--WE will
suppose that an Is bushel crop per
acre of wheat will pay the cost of
produce, al1 D moderate interest
|charge on the investment. Any great
er yield is regarded as almost entire
ly profit. Then the farmer in Iowa
or Kansas whose wheat averages rs
bushels an acre, after paying all the
costs of producing and marketing the
crops"
with these as premises it is not
astonishing that acreage in irrigated
Idaho is advancing In price so that
$500 and $500 an acre Is paid for
large tracts, nor need any great sur
prise be felt when the statement is
made that farmers engaged in the
production of alfalfa seed in the low
er Wood River valley last year reap
ed a profit of approximately $100 an
acre.
Idaho possesses decided advan-
tage over the other arid states in the
development Of its desert lands,
through its state laws. During the
past four years nearly million acres
of enormously rich lands have been
reclaimed by irrigation, under the
direct supervision of the State Land
Board. These lands have been set |
tied on by several thousands of Amer
lean families, and what was a desert
waste, without value in 1904, has
since been given a present value of
$75,OOO,000 and value In the inn
mediate future of 100000,
tc Cfi So,
work OF making of the desert gar
den. Early in June this year the |
state land board will throw open to
entry under the Carey Act, $4,000
acres of rich land comprising the
Dietrich tract, Immediately east Of
Shoshone on the main line Of the Ore
gon Short Line. These lands will be
irrigated by the Idaho Irrigation COM
pany with headquarters at Boise,
Idaho, the company is now engaged
n the construction, under state sup
ervision, Of irrigation works, that will
'ost when completed between $4,50O.-
300 and $5,000,00V. These lands
will be thrown open to entry by lot,
applications to enter being made with
he irrigation company prior to the
To the overflow population
II the eastern and middle western
tates, better opportunity for the +
occurring Of home will never be
PRESENTED. | would urge on such per-
ons the making of inquiry of the
IDAHO Irrigation company. Ltd, either
t Boise or Richfield, Idaho.
Profits OF Alfalfa Seed Growing.
In far off Idaho during the past
everal years, there has been develop It
d on the fertile lands of the lowerb
Wood River valley the practice Of
aising alfalfa for the seed. During 9
he year 1906, many thousands Of I
ores of irrigated lands lying about q
he little town of Hagerman, were {
evoted to this industry. The re-
lrns were SO astonishingly good that f
GREATER land owners in that sec g
on will they say, devote a still b
reater acreage to this branch of
griculture. It was the same with all
lost every one during the 1906 sea r
IN, that after cutting first alfalfa n
ny crop of from az to Az tons to q
Ie acre, the second crop was per- n
tilted to fully mature, and when cut b
I'D threshed, yielded from nine to
even bushels an acre (540 to $50 b
,unds), besides two tons or more n
alfalfa straw, almost as nutritious b
y