The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-11-16

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Yields will increase year by year,
as more land is put under cultivation,
either by irrigation or so-called dry
farming methods. At the present time,
however, not an acre of grain land is
under the ditch, though some alfalfa
is grown by artificially supplied mois-
ture. Two hundred and sixty-fve
thousand acres of a total of $50. 600
acres under the ditch are being culti-
waited and it is expected that fully
1900 900 will be watered before the
close of 1912. This includes 100000
acres of land, upon which the federal
government and private companies
are now at work and a tract of 300,
600 acres on the quincy flats to be
irrigated by ranchers owning the
lands.
Conservative estimates by growers.
who are in close touch with the situa-
ton, place this seasons apple crop at
1900 carloads, the bulk of which is
now being shipped from the Yakima,
Wenatchee, Walla Walla Truchet
Snake river, Upper Columbia river,
Okanogan, Methow and Spokane val
leys. The commercial value of this
output is between $4,000 and So
100000. Ninety-five per cent of the
fruit was grown under irrigation this
season Other fruits marketed earlier
in the season had market value of
from $5,5O0,O0 to $6,OO0,0GO. This
includes peaches, plums, prunes. cher
ries, pears, grapes, berries, melons
and nuts.
Irrigation has transformed former
sage brush wastes into beautiful gat.
den spots, the products of which are
sent to the four corners Of the world
1t is worthy of note that Washington
apples command the highest prices in
London, the most critical market N
the world. Irrigation has made posi-
Bile the building of homes and the 4,ru.
ductlon of wealth In districts where
the coyote and other wild things were
formerly the sole occupants, AMI,
with the numerous projects now I'M
der way and contemplated, thousands
of acres of lands will be added to the
wealth-producing districts.
The federal governments principal
| irrigation works in Washington are in
the Yakima valley, in south central
! Washington, where upward Of 400. 900
acres are reclaimed. This is being
done by a series of projects planned
to unite ultimately into one great sys-
tenn. The government now owns
three canals, completed, in the Yaki-
ma valley and has three others sur
veyed. The Sunnysde camel, now in
operation, was originally built by a
private company and bought by the
government. 1t now waters 60, 900
acres and is being enlarged and ex-
tended to take in 10000 acres more
Three thousand acres Of government
land under the Sunnyside canal may
be opened to entry. The unit is 50
acres. The water right costs $50 an
acre. Homestead lands held in pri-
vate ownership may be negotiated for
the same as any other lands, at prices
ranging from $25 an acre upward
without water rights. The soil is a
| light volcanic ash. The elevation in
the Sunnyside valley is between 100
and 500 feet. Fruit, hay and vege-
| tables are the chief crops.
The Tieton canal, opened few
months ago, provides water for $4,000
acres Immediately west of the city of
North Yakima. The soil is volcanic
ash and the elevation between 1000
feet and 1900 feet. The water right
under this canal costs $50 an acre,
with 40 acres the farm unit. Fruit
will be the chief crop next year.
Aside from the government canals
on the Yakima Indian reservation,
which will water 10000 acres of
land, none of the other federal pro-
jects las been started, though all have
have been surveyed. These are the
Kittitas canal in Kittitas county
which will water $4,000 acres, and the
Benton project, to water 100000
acres between the Columbia and
Yakima rivers.
The Okanogan project is designed to
water 10000 acres near the city of
| OkanOgan,, in north central Washing
ton. Fifteen hundred acres of the
land has been under private irrigation
several years, and the water right to
this undertaking will be perfected and
continued by the government. The
farm unit under this project is 40
acres. Fruit is the CHIEF product,
having been successfully grown there
several years, Other crops are hay,
vegetables and small fruits
/ The progress made in irrigation de-
veIopment has been rapid and mil
/
capital has been and is being invested
in the various private projects. Land,
which could not be sold for IS an
acre in 1895, is now held at from
$3.50 to $4,000 an acre. Today the
sagebrush and bunch grass expanses
of yesterday are dotted with profita BILE
orchards and berry fields, which bring
its owners a comfortable living and
The communities are thickly settled
and have all the advantages of mod
ern cities. Each locality possesses
some certain, peculiar, attractive fea-
lures, which Yields an effective in
fuence over that vicinity in locating
the pioneer industrial classes.
From government reports it is
! learned there are 49S9,937 acres of
unappropriated and unreserved public
| lands in the state of Washington.
| The state also owns several millions
| of acres of school lands, the minimum
price of which is $40 an acre, payable
in ten annual payments with interest.
The surveyed and unsurveyed govern
ment lands in the various districts are
I reported as follows, the number of
surveyed acres being given first in
each instance: Waterville, 1,0S2, 1903,
279,47O; Walla Walla. 33O.563, 21O.-
III; Vancouver, 12O,1O5, 1926; Spo-
kane, 74O,O25, 1924 Seattle, TO-
522, 6,125; Olympia, $3.50, $3.50;
North Yakima, 375,2SO 500, 467. Some
Of the land contains timber, while
others is described as mountainous
and rolling prairie,
Profitable crops Of grain and fod-
der are being produced in the nom