Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1913-11-28
THE ENLARGED
HOMESTEAD LAW

The 32O-acre homestead law, or, as
1t is often called, the enlarged home
stead law, has made possible the
entry of many million acres of dry
land in the western states in tracts
double the size allowed under the or
iginal homestead law. Only the
land that has been designated by the
Secretary of the Interior as ''non-irri-
gable" can be entered under this act
More than 200. .OOO, 600 acres have been
thus designated, but petitions and
sworn statements requesting further
designations are constantly being re-
ceived.
In All interview just being given out
Secretary Lane calls attention TO the
fact that there appears to be c0nsid-
cradle misunderstanding among
western hOmesteaders as to the pro-
cedure necessary in order that enlar-
ged-h0mestead designations may be
made. The Secretary states that OH
" the simplest and most direct action
by the settler is required, and that it
is wholly unnecessary for him to in-
cur the charges now made by attor-
neys who draw up formal petitions
that are in fact no more effective than
the hOmsteader' s OWL letter would be.
On this account brief statement OF
the essential facts relative to the en-
larged. homestead law is timely.
The first enlarged homestead act
was approved February 10, 1909, and
as later amended provides that in the
states Of Arizona, California, Colora-
do, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah
WASHINGTON, and Wyoming any per-
son who isqualified to make entry un-
der the homestead laws may enter as
much as 32O acres Of public land
which is in a reasonably compact
body and is non mineral, non-irri-
gable, unreserved and unappropri-
ated and does not contain merchant
able timber. Before such entry can
be made. however, the land must he
designated by the secretary of the in
terror as not being. in his opinion,
susceptible of successful irrigation at
y reasonable cost from any known
source of water supply.
The work Of classifying the lands
and determining what areas may be
considered non-irrigable has been as
signed by Secretary Lane to the Uni
ted States Geological Survey. Al
though under the present ruling Of
the secretary, large areas may be
designated rs non-irrigable without
raising the question whether the
land is in other respects subject to
HON estead entry, the work of classi-
flying these large areas necessarily
proceeds rather slowly. In addition
to these so-called blanket designa.
tions, therefore. designations of u
smaller areas are made rs rapidly as
their non-irrigable character is deter
mined, including areas whose desig-
nation has been requested by indiv-
idual settlers for enlarged homestead
entry on tracts adjacent to their pres
ent unprotected homestead entries.
No definite form of petition is re-
quired, but each application should
be limited as far as possible to the
spicifc tract desired for entry and
should contain description, by Sec
1ion, township and range, of the ap-
plicant's original homestead entry
and the date Of this entry, as we'll as
= description, also by legal subdivi-
slons, Of the lands desired for addi-
tional entry. Information as to the
possibility Of irrigating the land
should also be furnished and should
include the distance and direction OF
the nearest stream or existing or pro
posed irrigation canal, the elevation
Of the lowest point of the land above
such source of water supply, the dep
tn at which water can be reached b,
wells sunk on the land. and all avail
able information concerning attempts
to obtain water by this method. Th'
general character of the land, both o
the homesteader' original entry Il
he has made one) and of the land de
sired for additional entry, should al
80 be described, to aid the survey il
reaching a decision us to its non-irri
gability.
This information should be embod
led in Il letter sent to the Director
II. S. Geological Survey, Washington
ID. G. \ formal petition drawn II
by a notary or an attorney is not a
all necessary, and will not result i
any earller consideration of the mat
ter than will be given if the applical
writes personally. Action will b
taken on every request as prompt
rs is consistent with proper regar
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