The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1911-03-03

ures look large to the average
farmer from the North or East,
but they can be verified.
Secretary Wilson, Of the De
partment of Agriculture, once ex-
pressed an opinion that irrigated
farming ultimately would revo-
lutionize agriculture all over the
United States. The first syste-
matte application of irrigation in
the United States was inaugural
ed by the Mormons on the shores
Of the Great Salt Lake, in lS47.
They found Utah anything but
the promised land for which they
had hoped From necessity they
resorted to irrigation, and soon
made the barren site Of Salt Lake
City one Of the mast prosperous
communities in the West liri-
CATION, however, did not make
any extensive Roadway until af-
ter the Civil War and during the
early '70's, when the great tide
of immigration turned toward the
West In 1870 only about 30
600 acres of land were under cul.
tivation by irrigation in the
United States. In the next ten
years this number was increased
TO 100000 acres. During the
years between 1S80-90 irrigation
experienced a great boom, and
| the number of acres increased to
nearly 100000. In 1902, the
last census, the acreage was ~
034 ,526, and each month sees
thousands of acrs added, until
the total is nearly 100000 acres
today The prehistoric town
building Pueblo Indians, in this
and adjoining territory, practic-
ed irrigation thousands of years
ago. The descendants OF these
Indians still cultivate lands which
were titled by irrigation when the
treasure-seeking Spaniards came
ND from the South. High along
the steep cliffs in the canyons OF
! the Southwest still cling the
ruins of the former homes OF the
extinct race of cliff jewellers, and
in the broad valleys below can De
seen today the ruins of their stone
dams and irrigation canals-all
that is left to tell the story OF
| America s first agriculturalists.
| The farmers and fruit growers
of the South Plains are 1900 miles
nearer to the Eastern markets
than are the California farmers.
Late in the season, when the Cal
ifornia growers begin to snip
their fruit to Chicago and East
ern states, our farmers have a de-
cided advantage in their favor.
Being so much nearer to the
source of demand, they are able
TO leave their fruit to fully ripeh
ON the trees. and, not having to
pick it half ripe for long-distance
! shipping, they consequently com
| mand much better prices. Fruit
is no longer luxury, but has be
come a necessary article OF tood
and the demand for early fruits
and choice vegetables from the
Souht Plains will always so taI
exceed the supply that serious
competition practically can not
exist. No part of the West is
blessed with climatic and other
advantages equal to those ENJOY
de by tn people Of this section
We are sufficiently far south Ia
J be Injured against the severe WIN
ters of more northern lands IL
has sufficient elevation to relieV'
il from the sweitering summer
heat prevalent in countries OF a
similar latitude, but nearer the
sea level. It has an atmospher,
SO dry that it will not absorb neal
so that as soon as the sun sets the
air become as cool as that oil
land much farther north. These
neculiar conditions combine to
make both the summer and WIN
fer climate of the South Plains an