The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-10-03
ment into western America, Including the

ment into western America, including the
| Mormon movement.
I'm 1907 Zebulon Montgomery Pike, the
great explorer, reported that the country
west OF the Missouri river was nothing
but a vast desert. incapable of human
haotation." Mr., Schmidt declared. Now,
sweeping condemnation OF whole po-
| tential empire, many millions of people
are living happy and prosperous lives
| In the kindly bosom of that same desert
and the transcon linental lines are taxed
to their limits in handling the produce
and the supplies OF the mighty kingdom
of agriculture that has meen established
| there, In five years the lines OF the
| its western territory and the rapid pop
ula ton OF the country is not abating",
| G. F. Brown, consulting drainage engi-
| neer, formerly in the government service.
spoke jnstructively of the Drainage of
Waterlogged and Alkaline Irrigated
Lands" His address in part follows:
| Very few who are familiar with the
! agriculture Of the irrigated regions
| have failed TO recognize the presence
| OF the. seepage and alkali problems
and the serious handicap thereby
placed upon portions OF most irrigated
regions, The question is one that
| confronts every irrigated section TO a
| greater or less degree and Will always
require attention Steep surface
| slopes and deep ground water do not Z
4 guarantee absolute immunity from
| this evil, The trouble has been wide
| spread In the western states. many
| remedies and antidotes have been Of
| fered.. but the only and final universal
remedy Is under drainage.
1t is my purpose: however. to con-
/ fine my remarks to the economical
| phases of the subject by mentioning
in general the extent and location Of
| such lands now needing drainage: eN-
| amples Of successful reclamation:
| the absence OF difficult engineering
and construction problems. and the
profits resulting from reclamation,
Proof Is at Hand.
Those unfamiliar with the latest
advances In methods of reclaiming
such lands win probably want to
know the success attending efforts to
reclamation let US examine an expert
ment AT Hyde park. Cache valley.
This tract Of forty acres had original
~ been very good land but had re-
grasses following irrigation OF the
bench above. An expenditure OF SIG
per acre was made for tillng. and
such crops as fifty bushels of wheat
and 100 bushels of oats per acre were
grown the following year. Last year
II produced from twenty to twenty
five tons OF sugar beets per acre.
This tract was affected with an eX-
cess OF water only. and was not aka
line. These and many other notable
examples are conclusive proof that
practically all OF the lands. once fer
tile and productive, but now aban-
doned on account Of seeDage and
alkali. can be reclaimed with great
profit.
Senator George Sutherland OF Utah, In
a brief address endorsed the work OF the
congress and pledged his support TO
whatever constructive legislation II might
advocate In the national senate. He paid
g. high tribute To Senator NewIands OF
Nevada. president Of the congress, de-
clarIng the NewIands Reclamation act
to be the greatest piece of constructive
legislation OF the age.
Praises Newlands.
NO more able service for Irrigation
and reclamation has been given by any
man than that OF Senator Newlands. ="
said Senator Sutherland. ITO his efforts
was nso due largely the passage ,-, Of the
cont emplat ties the disposition OF the re-
Tnalnder OF the public domain without eS-
pcnse to the government. for under the
law they will reclaim themselves.
NO stronger argument for a great ma
tional policy To carry irrigation to every
region where II is needed 10 reclaim the
!, soil could be presented than the concrete G
example Of Salt Lake and Utah. From
the desert solitudes found here sixty-five
years ago has sprung city Of surprising
. beauty and a state so rich that its re-
sources never can be exhauste ed: and all
through rrsation IT Is a striking ex-
! Idle water is united with idle land
How to Cut Prices.
Truman c. Palmer of New York gov
ernment beet sugar investigator speak
] Ing AT the morning session. said that tb,
conpIeu2n OF the Panama canal. expan.
, sion OF the good roads movement and in.
crease OF cultivated areas by Irrigation
were inc three great factors that vii