Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-14

sWamn soils. leyec river overflow soils,
grow trees on thin soils. pasture hill
side SOILS rotate crops on all soils.
discover methods for cropping dry land
soils. find grasses and legumes for all
soils. feed grain and mill feeds on
the farms where they originate. that
the soils from which they come may
be enriched.
A work of the utmost Importance
to inform and instruct the public on
this branch of the conservation of our
resources is being carried on success
fully in the department of agriculture,
but 1t ought not to escape public atten-
ton that the state action in addition
to that of the department of agriculture
(as for instance, in the drainage of
swamp lands.) is essential to the best
treatment of soils in the manner
above indicated.
The act by which. In semi-arid parts
of the public domain. the area OF
the homestead has been enlarged from
160 to 800 acres has resulted most
benef1cally in the extension of dry
farming and the demonstration which
has been made of the possibility,
through a variation in the character
and mode of culture of raising sub
stantial crops without presence of such
a supply of water as has been here
tofore thought to be necessary for
agriculture.
IRRIGATION.
But there are millions of acres of
completely arid lands in the public
domain which, by the establishment of
reservoirs for the storing of water and
the irrigation of the lands may be
made much more fruitful and pro-
ductive than the best lands in a cli-
mate where the moisture comes from
the clouds.
Congress recognized the Importance
| of this method OF artificial distribu-
| ton of water on the arid lands by the
| passage OF the reclamation act. The
proceeds OF the public lands creates a
| fund to build the works needed to
; store and furnish necessary water and
| it was left TO the secretary of the in
| terror to determine what projects
should be selected among those sug-
/ gested and to direct the reclamation
| service, with the funds at hand and
through the engineers in its employ to
| construct the works.
| No one can visit the far west and
| the country of arid and semi-arld lands
| without being convinced that this is
| one OF the most important methods of
| conservation OF our natural resources
! that the government has entered upon.
| 1t would appear that over 30 projects
have been undertaken and that q few
/ OI IHcSC bTc llhtly " Dc UNSUCCESSFUL
| because OF the lack of water or for
other reasons, but generally the work
which has been done has been well
done and many important engineering
problems have been met and solved.
One difficulty which has arisen is
that too many projects. in view of the
available funds. have been set on foot
The funds available under the reclama-
ton statute are inadequate to com
plete these projects within n reasonable
time. And yet the projects have been
begun; settlers have been invited to
take up and in many instances have
taken mp. land within the projects. re-
lying upon their prompt completion
Tho failure to complete the projects
for their benefit is. In effect breach
of faith and leaves them in a most dis
tressing condition.
NATION SHOULD AID THEM.
| urge that the nation ought to af-
ford a means to lift them out of the
very desperate condition in which they
are now. This condition does not in
dicate any excessive waste, or any
corruption on the part or the reclama-
ton service. 1t only indicates ar
ovcr-2calous desire to extend the
benefit of reclamation to as many acres
and as many states as possible
recommend therefore. that authority
be given to issue not exceeding $780,
100000 OF bonds from time to time as
the secretary of the interior shall fInt
1t necessary. the proceeds TO be applied
to the completion OF projects already
begun and their proper extension. anC
the bonds running 10 years or more
to be taken up by the proceeds from
the reclamation fund, which returns a.