The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1911-11-10

land commissioners with the POtlatcI
Lumber company, about 10000 acres O.
cut-over state land, on which the com.
pany owned the timber only, will be
turned back to the state within the
next sixty days, although the company
had the right to hold this land some
ten or eleven years yet under the orig
lnal deeds to the timber. The arrange
ment is covered by a formal contract
which has been duly executed by the
company, whereby it not only agrees
to turn back 10000 acres now cut-over
but to relinquish to the state prac-
tlcally all other cut-over state lands,
| within one years Of the completion of
logging operations thereon and there
over.
think few people realize what
this means to the state generally and
particularly to the community in the
vicinity of which these lands are To-
| Gated. At present Latah county will
| receive the greatest local benefit, but,
later, as the timber is removed from
about $4,000 acres of state land by the
Potlatch Lumber company, Shoshone.
Kootenai and Clearwater counties will
benefit largely, also.
Il am in favor of selling this land
as rapidly as possible on low an
pralsements so that, instead of living
Idle, growing up to brush and pro-
ducing no revenue from taxation, it
may be settled up with good, substan-
tlal citizens who will bring it under
cultivation, and contribute their share
OF the revenue of the state and coun-
ty, and in this | think | have every
member of the board with me.
The great wonder of Latah county
lies in it's variety. It's Topography in
cludes mountains, table lands. valleys.
forests and meadows 1t has a wide
diversity OF climate, and the fertility
OF its soil is the marvel of all new
cOmerS
irrigation is unknown, Nature at
tending to that SO perfectly that, while
1t seldom ever rains during the three
summer months, crop failure has
never been known.
For her development, Idaho needs
more people and this is particularly
true of Latah county, in which is sit
uated the 10000 acres of cut-oyer
lands, which | trust will soon be put
on the market by the state Here are
inviting fields in which human skill.
talent or genius of every degree may
find profitable employment and in no
part of the great west are the essen.
tials of a good farm and the other
attractions of good location for a
home SO generally present as in that
portion of Latah county in which is
located this cut-over land.
After Governor Hawley, Secretary
of State Clifford and myself inspected
the rough, non-productive mountainous
land, of which the state has recently |
sold some $4,000 acres, we took oc
casion to look at the 10000 acres of
land which the Potlatch
Lumber company is now turning back
to the state
Il found that all of it lies within
two or three miles of the Milwaukee
and w. I. & M. railways, and the al
-itude is from $500 to $500 feet. The II
and is generally rolling, except for
he river and creek bottoms and natur-
II meadows. The soil on the uplands
S mostly basaltic OF volcanic ash. mix
I'd with more or less organic matter.
md underlaid with subsoil of clay.
The same soil in other parts of the Pa
ouse country has been producing
'rops for thirty years, and is still pro-
lucing wonderful yields.
Bottom and meadow land is deep,
black loan, mixed with a large pro-