The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1910-09-29

Association, which is composed oil
settlers and water users of the Truckee.
Carson Irrigation Project, desire tc
submit for your consideration the
following facts as having a bearing
upon the advisability of the. further
J extension of this project and the neces.
Fsity of the immediate construction OF
the storage reservoir upon the Carson
river.
First: That we have an ideal climate,
in which field operations can be carried
on during practically the entire year,
and a fertile and inexhaustible soil,
which under proper tilage and irriga-
tion will produce in abundance all of
the crops of the temperate zone. Coming
as our members do, from every section
of the United States from irrigated as
well as humid regions, it is our unani-
nous opinion that this project will
compare very fayorably with any other
section of the country in its products
of the field, garden and orchard; and
that it is not excelled in conditions
/ favorable for the production of horses.
cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry, and
especially of the dairy. Owing to the
newness of the project and local con-
ditions giving home market, alfalfa
has so far been the chief crop. Our
soil is composed largely of the sedi-
mentary deposit of an extinct lake,
very deep and porous, and while taking a
large quantity of water, seems especial
ly favorable to the growth of alfalfa
which in both yield and quality has no
superior anywhere. 1t produces from
four to ten tons per acre-the average
being six tons. The average price is
six dollars per ton in the stack, giving
gross return of thirty-six dollars per
acre. The labor cost for irrigating and
harvesting is ten dollars per acre,
leaving net return of twenty-siy dol
lars per acre, or six per cent interest
on q valuation of four hundred and
thirty-three dollars. With sufficient
supply of water this crop IS absolutely
certain. For specific instances we
would refer you to Oswald Leete. who
has 72 acres of alfalfa cutting this year
750 tons and to Robert Benson, who
has 40 acres which yielded this year
$50 tons. There are many others having
equal yields. Wheat, oats and barley
produce an average yield of one to one
and half tons per acre, which sells
for thirty to the thirty-fye dollars per
ton. Potatoes yield eight to twelve
tons per acre and sell for about twenty
dollar per tor. Onions yield fifteen to
twenty tons per acre and usually bring
twenty to thirty dollars per ton. All
kinds of garden products yield equally
well and find market in the surround
ing mining camps. Owing to the
shortness of time not much fruit has
yet been raised on the homesteads, but
enough has been raised on the older
ranches to justify the assertion that
apples and pears do especially well and
attain flavor here that is not exeelled
by any other fruit producing locality
in the world. Peaches. plums, grapes
and small fruits also are successfully
grown and yield prolific crops.
ID: We submit the fact that farm
lands have more than doubled in price
since the installation of the government
irrigation project, notwithstanding its
incompleteness, and that upon its COM
pleton according to the original plans
they will go still higher. making it
absolutely certain that they will justify
any reasonable expenditure for the
completion of the project. In our
Judgment. based upon actual ex-
perience and a knowledge of the
productiveness of the soil, the
withdrawn land will support a
water charges of fifty dollars per acre.
If found necessary, in order to assure a
plentiful supply of water. Prior to the
construction of the project unimproved
land sold for from s2.50 to $40 per acre.
Since its partial construction unimprov-
ed land sells for from $40 to 500 per
acre and some Of the best at S50per acre
without water right, when favorably
located. Improved land prior to con-
strcution sold from SIS to $40 per acre
according to improvements and location
with water right. Since construction
good improved land with water right
sells from 500 to $500 per acre owing
to location. Citing instances, one ranch
AZ miles from Fallon, containing 800
acre, prior to construction sold for $ll,
600. Since construction 80 acres of this
same place sold for $1,000. Another
ranch six miles from Fallon sold for
$2500 and during construction sold for
$4500 and is now held at $4,000. A
ranch 2Is miles from Fallon was bought
in 1902 for SO, 600 and sold in 1910 for
500, 900 without additional improvement
CONTINUED in Supplement.