Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1914-04-25
sIUNG ON CANADIAN LAND
Railroad Didn't Keep Promises Season
Too Short For Crops-Irrigation
Failure In the Far North.

have several times stated that much
fthe land of the Canadian Pacific rail-
road was too far north for irrigation and
also that the lay of the land was quite
uneven and unsuitable.
Moreover, have been but little i'm
pressed by the fatherly interest of the
G. P. r. company in the settler after he
had paid his money and their loud ex-
pressions of altruism. says Lord Ogilvy
in the Denver Post.
Following is the substance of letter
addressed to w. A. Buchanan, NJ. P,
Ottawa, by M. Bollinger, formerly OF
Brush, Colo. 1t is self-ex planatory and
may save some of our people from a
world of expense and loss.
Solicited by land agents, Mr.. Bollin-
ger visited some of the irrigable lands
of the G. P. r. while snow was still deep
upon the ground in the spring of 1907.
Even in that condition he could see that
the first lands offered were quite unfit
for irrigation, but he subsequently pur.
chased another tract near Gleichen.
The agents assured him that any land
that proved unsuitable would have the
price reduced from $25 per acre for ir-
rigable lands to SIS, at which the dry
lands were held. So far, though, much
if not all the land has been subject to no
reduction, and no offer of reduction has
been made, the engineer merely report.
ing that the land is below the level of
the company's canals and therefore ir-
rigable.
may say that some of the lands con
sidered irrigable by them lie like ice
hummocks in the Arctic ocean. One
hundred acres was broken, so acres
seeded to winter wheat, and other crops
were planted the following spring on
the choicest land of the 2S0-acre tract.
The crops that were irrigated did not
ripen. The season was too short. Both po-
tatoes and sugar beets did better with no
water. The irrigated crops, indeed, were
notworth digging The earliest variety Of
barley procurable was sown and did
we'll as frost was delayed that season;
but the irrigated wheat and oats were
badly frosted and yielded 10 bushels less
than on the irrigated land.
Finding that most of his land was so
lacking in drainage that irrigation ruin
ed it, Mr.. Bollinger applied to have the
price reduced and to give up all his
water rights, either on the whole tract
or for all but acres, but received no
relief. In 1909 no crops were irrigated
and the garden which received some
irrigation water showed but little
benefit.
The fall of 1909 and season of 1910 be.
ing very dry, Mr.. Bollinger managed to
irrigate about so acres out of 2S0 with
the water supplied him though he was
assured by the ditch riders he was get
ting more than his contract called for
Of the grain irrigated about 10 acres
was fit for threshing; the rest was taken
by frost and had to be cut for green
feed.
In 1912 none of the irrigated grain
ripened and it had 10 be burned off tc
make room for the next crop. In 1915
the grain only ripened on the higl
spots, the irrigated land being too wet
to crop.
Instead Of the water proving an asset
to the land as farther south. it has prov
ed a detriment. No compensation has
so far been received by Mr.. Bollinger
hence his appeal to Mr.. Buchanan ant
the matter has been taken up by tht
Farmers union of Alberta.
There is great deal of frosted grair
in the far north even without irrigat tior
which induces heavy growth and con
sequent slow maturity, making the
grain doubly susceptible to winter raw
ages.
Irrigation water is but little advan
tage for other crops, as 80 few of then
can be grown as far north as Lethbridge
Water is considered as advantageous TO
hay crops and of doubtful benefit t.
cereals. even without considering tn
added expense of Investment and ap
plication.
This matter assumes considerable i'm
portance when we remember the larg
number of people who pass throug
here and see the bountiful crops W
raise by irrigation under favorable con
ditions. They pass on in search of new
er lands of apparently lower prices an
get stung, because they do not realiz
all the factors necessary to make
successful irrigated country.
Land, even with good water rights
will not produce unless there are SUI
ficient heat units and sunshine to dra,
mp the moisture, and rapidly transpir,
it, leaving the residue of solids in tn
cellular structure of the plant alon
with the carbons from the atmospher,
manufactured into sugars.
Plant growth is as exigent of heat a
any other manufacturing process ant
only with heat and sunshine can apple,
water exert its beneficial influence
INSTRUMENT FOR
LOCATING MIN ERALS
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