Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-01
]. S. RECLAMATION
SERVICE WILL Be
EXTENDED
Future Outlay to Exceed
$67 100000 Already Spent
BY Government in Thor
ough Construction Work.

Washington, Feb. IA statement
given out by the reclamation service
says that approximately SG7.OO0.OOO
has been spent boy the government In
irrigation work. This vast sum, how.
ever. is less than half the amount that
will have been spent when Uncle
Sans engineers have completed ;he
present program Of reclamation. In
NEARLY every western state the flood
waters OF the streams are being ina
pounded, and already thousands Of
families are benehting from this
stored water.
The activities OF the government
In reclamation work have resulted In
awakening widespread interest in
irrigation. II Is now suggested that
it is not q system that should b.
confined TO the rainloss country bat
that II would be profitable to extend
Il everywhere where intensive agri
culture Is essential as In truck farm
ing and small fruit growing
In building SIS irrigation projects
the government selects only fertile
soil, then Il gauges the size OF the
| ply The reservoirs and canals are
built as substantially as engineering
SIKH can devise, and when the farms
have been laid out and water Is run.
ming in the canals. then, and not tin
then, settlers are invited to use their
homestead rights on the land. The
money actually spent 10 building the
| irrigation works Is prOrated against
each acre Of land and is repaid by the
settlers In ten equal annual paymeAts.
without interest Under this system.
new homes arc being made by the
thousands every year.
| The statistics OF tine reclamation
service says that success cannot be
Ipttained without hard work and that
the man who expects 10 farm an irri-
patod homestead without hard work
i will be grievously disappointed
| The government holds ont no hope
of fabulous profits or rapidly in
Creasing land values. The facts are
these: Tracts of FIRST class farming
land varying from 40 to 100 acres are
now open to entry. In their raw con
dition they produce nothing and arc
worth little. When properly irrigated,
they produce large crops Of alfalfa,
grain, vegetables and fruit. and, the
reclamation officials insist. do this In
lgreater abundance and more surely
than in states where farmers must de-
lpend on the rainfall. Cultivated land
lwith an assured water supply Is worth
from 800 an acre upward. and In
some OF the older and more highly
developed fruit districts. prices of So
600 or $4,000 an acre have been ne
lquently recorded. These high figures
are due TO perfect state OF cultiva-
ltlOn. a thorough knowledge OF packing
fruit for market and well-Organized
selling associations
Reclamation officials say that set
tiers now locating on government IT.
Irrigation projects are frequently sur.
lprised at the modern conditions which
J surround them. The government prof
/ Get known as the Huntlcy project
In Montana, Is an example of what
can he done In three or four years
by progressive people. Il includes
an area 20 miles long and FIVE miles
wide, divided into farms averaging ~
acres About 500 people now live
: there Two railroads pass through tho
5 project and four small towns are
/ growing steadily. A telephone system
will soon cover the whole project, and
there are l3 GOOD schools. The fertile
/ soil Is well adapted tO alfalfa, wheat
oats. sugar boots, vegetables, small
r fruits and berries and many farmers
are adding To their incomes by the
steady demand for dairy products
! hogs and poultry
: In order 90 he successful the aver
s axe man needs from 81 600 10 $4,000 Il
{ cover the cost OF necessary equipment
, a house. fences and preparing the
r land for crops He must also provide
, for hlpself and family until his farm
/ begins 10 pay expenses, and this vii
/ require al least ono crop season
, lForty acres of this land intensivell
I Harmed Will Weld net annual profit
lof from $500 10 $4,000. and this Il
, a statement of results already accom-
. plished While previous farming eX
4 perience Is desirable. IL Is by nc
lmeans essential, and some of the mos
, successful hOmesteaders on the va
4 rious government irrigation projects
, had never handled a plow before they
made their filings.
on the uunJley project there are
now SIS farms ready for settlers anc
canals have ben completed to suppl,
lands I'm several other projects 10
, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming ant
! Nevada,