The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-04-13
IDAHO BOOSTER AT
WORK IN UTAH
immigration Commissioner Rich Tells
Zion Residents of Gem State Ad-
Vantages.

State immigration Commissioner S.
j. Rich is doing some great boosting
III Salt Lake, where he has been for
the past few days i'm an effort to per-
suade the Oregon Short Line officials
to allow stCpovers in this state to
coast bound passengers and to per-
nit the free distribution cf Idaho lit
erature on the trains going east 1t
IS likewise the purpose of Mr.. Rich
to make an effort to have the sched
ules Of the Yellowstone park trail S
changed so that the passengers viii
get an opportunity to see the Snake
river country by daylight rather than
PASS though it, both in coming to
the park and leaving it, at night.
IN an interview with a Salt Lake
paper Mr.. Rich is quoted as saying:
During the year just passed the
immigration to Idaho surpassed that
to Montana, Utah, Wyoming a-d Ne
yada combined, with a small percen-
t4se to spare, The stata~shas in
creased in population 400 per cent
in the last 20 years and in assessed
valuation 633 per ce.t. This is re
mark&ble growth and affords ba-
sis FOR future estimates.
'''Thn
state consists Of its farming possibili-
ties. No doubt there are more
people who come to Idaho to engage
III farmi g than for any other reason.
While there are vast areas in the
state which naturally can be farmed
and which are made up of some of
the finest lands in the state, still for
the most part the practice of irriga-
ton has brought Idaho to the front
from AN agricultural standpoint, since
1T has opened up so many thousand
acres which, added to the former,
brfags the total up to an enormous
figure. Idaho leads all the states in
the matter of irrigation, having more
than 1 900 miles of canals and ditch
es and more irrigated land thar any
other state.
Idaho is shown by the figures of
the United States department of ag-
riculture to lead in the yield per acre
OF all the principal agricultural prod
ucts, including wheat, oats, potatoes
and hay. In some parts of the south
aCd in nearly all parts of the north
ern portion of the state, Vlusua.
yields are had in all of these prod
ucts ON non-irrisated lards. A new
harvester, which has recently been
invented by resident of Latah coun-
ty ard now being extensively manu-
factured there, has proven its capa-
city to harvest grain from the field
to the sack at the very low cost Of
IS cents per acre, greatly increasing
the profits of those growers of this
commodity. Sugar beets are grown
In the southern part of the state to
the extent of keeping four sugar fac
tories constantly busy, but consider
ing the advantages which this state
offers for the growing of this article
the industry is not fairly started.
Idaho apples are famous the world
over and perhaps no place in the
world is better adapted to the culture
OF this variety of fruit. The yield is
very large and the flavor and beauty
of the apples grown in Idaho are un-
surpassed. Apples are grown through
out southern Idaho, the upper Snake
river valley, in eastern Idaho and in
different sectiCEs of the northern
part of the state. Except in the north
they are grown ON irrigated lands
entirely, but the quality is of the
same uniform excellence regardless
Of the section where grown or the
conditions of culture.
The apple is by no means the OH
ly fruit of unusual quality which is
grown IL Idaho. The prune, almost
worthy to be called the STAFF CT l;fe,
figures prominently in Idahos pre-em
inence as a fruit growing state, and
many thousand boxes are shipped to
dlfferelt parts of the United States
and Europe annually. The other va
rieties of fruit, such as pears, cher
ries, peaches, apricots, melons and
small fruit are found in the same
abundance, and, in fact, there is
scarcely any variety of fruit, with tn
exception of the tropical varieties
which does, not thrive in Idaho sol
! and under Idaho sunshine
Though farming is playing suct
a prominent part in the destinies o
this great state, this alone could not
have accomplished the traasformatiol
which has taken place during the las
20 years, nor assume to fulfill the ex
pectations OF the future in the matte
/ nf cyrnu,tb onh To