Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-08
DEVELOP SHOSHONE COUNTRY
treat Reclamation Project Costs Gov
eminent Seven Millions.
WORK PROGRESSES RAPIDLY
First Unit Ready for settlers in
-Four years After BeEinninE Of
Operaion-settlers Are
busy

1902 the United States government has
expended nearly S50OOOOOO in building
Irrigation projects in various parts OF the
so-called Arid West" This work Is done
under the supervision Of government
engineers and Is not commenced until they
are satisfied that the soil is susceptible of
producing satisfactory agricultural results,
and that the supply Of water is ample and
permanent Among these projects and one
of the most extensive. is the ShoshOne
project In northern wyoming about
sevcnty-five miles east Of the Yellowstone
National park. II covers approximately
10000 acres Of irrlgabe land, and will cost
some $4,000. The government desires no
profit from the enterprise. and the land.
with perpetual water rights, will be turned
over to the settlers at the actual cost Of
the Improvements.
Any citizen who has not exercised his
homestead right Is entitled to file on any
unoccupied farm on the project The
settler Is given six months from the time
Of making entry to establish residence be
fore the end Of which time he must
actually be living on the land. citizen
may make a second homestead entry pro-
vided he lost, forfeited OF abandoned a
homestead entry prior to February S. 1908,
II such entry was not cancelled for fraud,
or relinquished for a consideration. He may
also make a second entry II he committed
his former entry prior to June 5. 1900.
Reclamation work Rapid.
Investigation Of soil, water supply and
land was commenced by the reclamation
service in 1904 and as soon as these i'm
portant points were satisfactorily estab-
shed actual work was commenced on the
irrigation works. Notwithstanding their
magnitude and the permanent character
Of their construction, the first unit was
ready for settlers in the spring of 1908.
Since this time two more units have been
added making a total of about 5000 acres
ready for settlement. The more important
features Of the projects are now com
peted. These embrace the building Of the
highest dam IN the world C32s.4 feet high
forty-two feet higher than the Flat Iron
building in New York; in the Shoshone
canyon. which will store nearly half a
million acre feet of water; the Corbett
diversion dam Corbett tunnel three and
one-thrd miles in length; Ralston reser-
vor. the main canal forty feet wide on
the bottom; and the distributing system
for the units now In operation. Practically
all structures, even down to the farm
turnouts, are built of reinforced concrete
and steel. Work is now in progress on ad-
dtional canals, and new units will be
opened from time to time as settlement
shah require, until the entire 10000 acres
are under cultivation.
Settlers began to arrive in the spring OF
1908 and about 1900 acres were irrigated
the first year. That acreage was increased
until II reached 1900 in 1910, OF which 5000
acres were planted to alfalfa alone. The
irrigated portion of this land has been
changed from a typical desert to densely
populated agricultural community, enjoy
ing the advantages OF excellent schools
and churches. Two lines Of the Burling
ton railroad pass through the project tele
phone telegraph and postoffice facilities
are available. The towns are well provided
with good stores of all kinds; each has q
newspaper and bank, as well as othe
necessary branches OF business, and the
leading fraternal orders have lodges In
the various towns
Fuels Are Cheap.
There are several coal mines on anC
close to the project where farmers ma!
secure their fuel at from 81 to So per ton
There are also oil wells in several nearb!
localities, and a refinery at Cowley.
An crops native to the central temper
ate zone can be raised with success, in
Guiding cereals, forage, roots, fruits anj
garden vegetables Alfalfa, sugar beet
and the small grains do especially well
On account Of the altitude, corn is not 5,
successfully produced as the smalle
grains II is expected that the production
OF sugar beets will become an importan
and profitable industry. Representative
OF various sugar factories are already look
ing over the field with view Of establish
ing sugar factories as soon as settlemen
OF the project win warrant it. At thi
time the factory at Billings Mont is of
fering So per ton for beets delivered at tn
railroad stations on the project. Potstoe
do splendidly, producing from 200 TO 40
bushels per acre and they are of the fines
quality, successfully rivaling the wei
known Colorado potato.
on 162 farms that were being farmed tn
second year, the average returns per acr
we're as follows;
From alfalfa $3.50 per acre; oats $l6,C
per acre, wheat Sl5.O9 per acre.
The maximum yields on the Shoshon
project during the year 1910 we're seve
tons Of alfalfa per acre, seventy bushels G
oats. and thirty-two of wheat.
The soil consists OF light sandy and ella
AtAHls diluNldA OF seultnEnkhfg IN character
IL Is grayish brown in color, fine I'm textur,
very deep, almost entirely free from aka
and 50 rich that no fertilizer is necessar
for the production OF abundant crop.
This fertility is due to qualities inherer
In the soil itself, and soluble elements e,
sential to plant life, instead OF being di.
solved and carried away by thousands {
years OF rainfall, have been preserved
the ground, awaiting only the magic touc
OF water TO change the bare, brown desel
into luxuriant green fields.
Climate 10 Mild.
The climate is invigorating. healthful an
enjoyable at all seasons. There are n
cS CLONES, billiards. or severe storms. tn
winters are pleasant, milder than in cas-
eTn states in the same latitude, wit
usually only light snowfall In SUNNI,
Il Is never sultry, and the temperatuI
varies according to the altitude. The Ugh
ness OF the air, due to the altitude, q
dryness, modifying the extremes Of he,
ami cold, and the almost continuous SUI
shine, are constant stimulus and NAL
mere existence a pleasure.
Small fruits, such as currants, COOS
berries, raspberries. and ftrawberri,
grown on the project yield 0abundantI
tho fruit being OF excellent flavor. Irrigi