Imperial Valley press., 1912-08-22
800 ACRES OF ARID LAND is
homestead IN CALIFORNIA

Hos Angeles Examiner: In GER
tain arid sections of California, 10 be
designated by the secretary Of The in
terror, 800 acres of land may be home
steaded, and in some instances resi-
dence on the land will not be re
quiTed, according to the provisions Of
an ac- passed by congress June 13 Of
this year.
From the fact that there has been
little or no inquiry made at the local
land office concerning the provisions
Of this act. it is believed that the
people Of the state are generally in
ignorance Of the existence Of the law.
The law. which has just been made
applicable 10 California. was original
~ passed by congress February 10.
1909. applying at that time only 10
colorado, Montana, Nevada. Oregon.
Utah. Washington, Arizona and New
Mexico. June Il, 1910. it was extend
ed to Idaho, and this wear II was an
piled 10 California and North Dakota.
Before any land may be homestead
ed in This state under the provisions
OF this law the secretary Of the inte-
rior must designate the districts to
which il viii be applied This has
not vet been done hut it is believed
by Frank Buren,. register OF the Los
Angeles land office, that The secretary
would respond promptly if a petition
should be sent him BY interested peo-
pie to have any certain place made
subject 70 the new law The law is
tc promote dry farming.
The provisions Of the original act
California as we'll as the states there
in named. are as follows:
That any person who is a uuaIi
ned entryman under The homestead
laws OF the United States may enter.
by legal subdivisions. under the provI-
sions of this act, in the states Of Colo
radO. Montana, Nevada. Oregon. Utah.
Washington and Wyoming and the
territories Of Arizona and New NJex-
icO. go acres, or less. Of nOn-mineral
hon-lrTlSable. unreserved and unaDDro.
prlated surveyed public lands which
40 not contain merchantablp timber
located in reasonable cOmDact bodv
ana not over one and One-half miles
n extreme length; provided, that no
land shall be subject to entry under
me provisions Of this act until suoh
lands shall have been DESIGNATED bv
the secretary Of the interior AZ nor
Delng, in his opinion susceptibIa If
successful irrigation at a reasonable
cost from any known source Of wafer
supply.
Section 2.-Tbat any person ap,Gs-.
ing TO enter land under the provisions
OF this act shall make and subscribe
before the proper officer an affidavit
as required by section 229O Of the re-
Flsed statutes, and in addition thereto
shall make affidavit that the land
sought TO be entered is of the charac-
Ter described in section one of this
act7 and shall pay the fees now re-
quired to- be paid under the home.
stead laws
Sec. 3.-That any homestead en-
tryman Of lands of the character here
in described, upon which final proof
has not been made shall have the right
to enter public lands, subject to The
provisions of this act, contiguous to
his former entry which shall not, to-
gether with the original entry, eY-
ceed 800 acres, and residence upon
and cultivation of the original entry
snail be deemed as residence upon and
cultivation of the additional entry.
Sec 4.-That at the time of max
ing final proofs as provided in Sec
ton 1921 of the revised statutes the
entryman under this act shall, in ad-
dition to the proofs and affidavits re-
quired under said section, prove by
two credible witnesses that at least
one-eighth of the area embraced in
his entry was continuously cultivated
to agricultural crops other than native
grasses beginning with the second
year of his entry, and that at least
one-fourth Of the area embraced in
the entry was SO continuously cult
waited beginning with the third year
of the entry.
Sec 5-That nothing herein con-
tanned shall be held to affect the right