The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-01-18

own fields.
Many eastern farmers have the idea
that the irrigation farmer is in a
chronic state of water shortage. or has
10 fight excess of alkali in the soil, or
is so far from market that profits are
eaten up by transportation charges.
These things are sometimes true, but
IL is a grave mistake to believe that
they are unavoidable defects or that
they apply To all irrigated districts. In
building its irrigation projects the gov
eminent selects only fertile soil; then
Ii gauges the size of the area to fit
the available swater supply. The re-
servoirs and canals are built as sub
stantially as engineering skill can de-
wise and when the farms have been
laid out and water is running in the
canals. then and not till then, settlers
are invited to use their homestead
rights on the land. The money actual
ly spent In building the irrigation
works is prorated against each acre of
land and is repaid by the settlers in
ten equal, annual payments. without
Interest. Call IL paternalism If you
like-it is making homes by the thou
sand every year.
The Settlement Agent of the Re
clamation Service whose office is In the
Federal Building In Chicago. states
that success can not be attained with
out work, either I'm the west or any
where else, and the man who expects
to farm an irrigated homestead with
out hard work will be grievously dis
appointed. Neither will he get rich
over night. The government holds out
no promises of fabulous profits per
acre or of land values increasing like
a SNOWFALL rolling down hill. The sim
pie facts are these: Tracts of first
class farming land varying from 40 TO
160 acres are now open To entry; in
their raw condition they produce
nothing and are worth very little.
When properly irrigated they produce
large crops of alfalfa grain, vegetables.
and fruit; in fact, all the crops COM
mon to the region in which they are
located, but i'm greater abundance and
more surely than in states where far
mers must depend on the rainfall.
Cultivated land with an assured wa
ter supply is worth from 500 an acre
upward and i'm some of the older and
more highly developed fruit districts
prices of $4,000 or $4,000 per acre
have been frequently recorded. These
high figures are due To perfect state
of cultivation, thorough knowledge
of packing the fruit for market, and
well organized selling associations.
The settlers now locating on gov
eminent irrigation projects are fire.
quently surprised at the modern con-
ditions which surround them. and the
Huntley project in Montana is an ex-
ample OF what can be accomplished In
three or four years by progressive peo-
pie. 1t includes an area approximately
twenty miles long and five miles wide
divided into farms averaging forty
acres of irrigable land, and about five
hundred families now live there. Two
railroads passing through the project
afford transportation facilities and four
small towns with stores and business
houses are exhibiting a steady growth.
A telephone system which now reaches
about half of the farmers will soon be
extended TO cover the entire project.
and thirteen modern schools, employ
Ing trained instructors. provide for the
education of the children. The fertile
soil Is well adapted to alfalfa. wheat.
oats. sugar beets. vegetables. small
fruits and berries. and many farmers
are adding TO their incomes by the
steady demand for dairy products.
hogs and poultry. In order to be sue
cessful the average man needs from
one to two thousand dollars TO cover
the cost of necessary equipment a
house fences. and preparing the land
for crops. He must also provide for