The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-11

the midst of the fourishing crop, lie eX'
claimed with deep feeling:
"We accomplished this, on one of the
worst tracts in the valley and at a cos'
OF exactly 5000 mi acre. Why, in thc
name of all that is wonderful is the en-
tire valley not reclaimed7 1t is moth
ing less than shame that it Is not
done.
According to this expert. reclamation
by drainage is simplicity itself. La,
| the drain. cover il and connect 1t with
vour outlet he Gays. 'FTben proceed
with your irrigation and ordinary cur
tivation. There is no cost OF npkecp
will last lifetime"
Tract Profitable.
DR., Widtsoe estimates that thec, STAND
Of mcerne on the Swan tract VIII ylelH!
| from four 10 five ions IN acre anu WV
moi its growcr Il neat profit. Inc en-
| t;rc area of the valley west or inc
! Jordan river when reclaimed IS espc
ciallv suited Tor growing potatoes sw
gar bcets, rhnbarb. all KINDS OF Eat,
don truck and dairy food. y Goo,a
uenst uon - im, om The investment would be real
;zcd ~ saws he, "Thcre is no ques,
Won that the lands if properly. cared
for will retain their fertility fof all
] time yv;5.soo
/ Leaving the Swan tract, DR.. Widtsoe
WOO taken ia Six-mile ridge, where tne
State Reclamation company IS lnss"1i
| inc tile drainage on its inltlal unit -
! lo4O acres. Here extensive SUI ~ vs."
ware made the college president snuh
Meic WEI aIose nrrsonol examination OF the
resuIts az the borings. Various paIts
! - tbo tract were examined and at the
cnprlnsion % Or. Widtsoe clasped the
hand of O, r. Dibblee, secretary Oh 'ho
comnany, saying: xou
.sSir Kermit me to congratulate yo"
in advance on the success OF the p.oitpIio
which / assure you is unquestlohhlpli1S
and further to congratuinte su' II
! yo,,r associates on undertaking "o.h
which Will prove of such vast benellt
io vour city and state. You are en-
titled to the hearty support OF tne en-"
t;rc neoplc of Utah in your undertak, 1,
mo I know of no one thing that VIII
moro effectively aid IN the upbmioine
of the state than tho project you nave
under way - .ho
troct ~ Widtsoe grew enthusiastic.
tThis tract is located on the hgnesi
land between the river and the. lake,
he said: "while the Swan tract is many
feet lower. Here they have tall or ap'
nroyimatclv twenty feet TO carry Off the
drainage. while on the Old experiment.
ri farm VIC had only four feet: You nave
seen the absolute success or dralhag.
on the old farm. despite the lack o.
advantages possessed by this tract ano
even the most skeptical cannot Ques
tion that the same methods Will sue
ceed on this high ground.
DR. Widtsoe showed his keen interes'
in the project in n long conTersatloi
with Secretary Dibblee in which b'
gave much valuable advice on the pl3c
ING of drains and other work of recla
nation. He promised to give th'
officers of the company any assistance
and advice possible and consented t'
supply the company with one or I'M
best men available at the agriculture
college to assist in the work.
The incredulitv of the average farm
er when any new agricultural methot
! is brought to his attention is aptly il
Illustrated bv DIR. Widtsoe in the fol
lowing incident;
When the state experiment sta.
tion established its experimental
dry farm near Lehi. the farmers
of that section looked with amuse-
ment on the project which they
thought foredoomed to failure: But
when the forty-acre tract was beau
tifully green with an excellent
crop, while bare deseret surrounded
u,
a close inspection, and when it was
completed, they we're so thorough
lv convinced OF the feasibility Of
dry farming that they gathered in
a mass and gave three cheers for
the directors of the work.
But the enthusiasm of the visit
ors was not shared by one Of their
number. A tall. lanky farmer re-
mained apart from the merry
makers and appeared shrouded in
gloom approached him and asked
what he thought of the matter.
"Don't it beat Hcct!' he ex-
claimed: chow those darn fellows
from the agricultural college could
pick out the only forty acres in the
valley that could grow a crops"
1t is this same spirit of incredulity
adds Dr. Widtsoe. which has deterre
the farmers Of Salt Lake valley fror
following the lead set many years ag
WHICH unquestionably proved that tn
salt lands Of the valley can be re
: claimed by tile drainage, Failure o
n the newspapers to give much publicit
e to the demonstration is an addition0
|. reason. thinks DR.. Widtsoe. why th
n damn ct ~ tipn was mot fo11owp1 /