The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1914-05-14
Home-Seeking Opportunity
CONTINUED from page ~

Wood river, two in the Little Wood
river, about 100 miles of main cana
and 900 miles of distributing laterals
to say nothing of some so miles of the
channels of Big and Little Wood rivers
through which water is carried to the
various diversion points. The system
has been unusually well constructed
and operated very successfully during
the past three years. The Idaho Irri-
cation company has delivered not only
the quantity of water to which the
4 farmers are by contract entitled, dur
ing this period, but as much as they
could use beneficially.
In order to reach all lands under
cultivation it has been necessary to
run water in all canals and laterals,
so 1t may be truthfully said that the
system has been in full operation and
thoroughly tested for at least three
years. AS the best evidence of the
sufficiency Of the water supply 1t may
be said In addition to the liberal
quantity delivered much has been al
lowed to run to waste and it has
still been possible to carry over con-
siderable quantity in the reservoir
from one season to the next.
One might question the judgment
of those who spent fortune in the
construction of this great irrigation
system upon no security but a lien
upon thousand acres Of raw brush
land or marvel at their farsighted-
ness in predicting results so far in adj
vance.
While the excellent water right,
which has been provided, is of course,
the first and fundamental requisite,
it Is by no means the only condition
upon which the future prosperity of
this country will depend Natural
conditions must be viewed from the
standpoint of the individual who must
bring this raw land under cultivation
and apply inteligently the principles
of agriculture and irrigation, and upon
whose shoulders rests the responsible
lty for the future prosperity of the
community.
The newer settlers on the Carey
Act" lands were able to get a certain
amount of encouragement from the
few old settlers on the river branches,
but in general it was a matter of each
man following his own ideas and
learning from actual experience. Many
were unfamiliar with methods which
produce best results under local con-
ditions and a large number were in
experienced in irrigation. Very few
knew what it meant to clear and level
and place new land under cultiva-
ton and many underestimated the
expense and the length of time neces-
sary before the new farms will pro-
duce an income. Under these con-
ditions many mistakes have been made
and manu- dicao1tro oa,,oaptc and die
have been encountered
In view of all this result are aston
ishing and can only be attributed to
the existence of an extremely favor
able conditions of natural condi-
tons. Chief among these are the ex-
IRENE fertility of the virgin soil and
The excellent drainage which has made
t impossible for many an inexper-
enced irrigator to drown out his crops {
through the injudicious application of ;
water. The soil varies from a rather
leavy lava ash to rather light sand !
md ranges from four to ten feet in
lepth. The entire area is undertake '
W a stratum of lava rock badly seam [
ID and shattered The surface of the i
and is rolling in character but there {
re few slopes so steep that water S
dililOl Dt iduultu SuCCtSSlully ny lnt
sual methods. '
A chemical analysis of the soil, and L
he experience of those whe have had il
n opportunity to make a practical t
est Of it's fertility, shows that it a
ontains in well-balanced proportions r
II the elements essential to plant e
rowth. Like most soils in arid re- a
ion it's fertility can be increased W
Y proper cultivation and fertilization Il
nd intelligent rotation of crops t
Iaximum yields are rarely obtained tt
ntil humus has been added by allow W
g it to remain in alfalfa, sweet peas, to
some other leguminous crop for Ia
vo years or longer. 1t is true that m
Scellent yields of grain and potatoes
i've been raised on the new land, but ir
times these yields are doubled OF
trebled after the land has been in 81
falfa. Conditions seems to be excep tn
onally favorable to the raising of az
falfa, potatoes, barley, wheat. oats in
Id tame pasture grasses, including ia
over. timothy, blue grass, etc. til
Corn has been raised with some de- ca
ee of success and will undoubtedly eq
come one of the staple crops as soon w
a variety adapted to local condi- pc
ms has been developed Natural of
nditions are extremely favorable for
2 raising of all kinds of vegetables, DIR
all fruits and berries grown in other sti
ices in the same latitude. ga
Apples, prunes, and cherries have SCI
ne remarkably well in this locality pli
the raising of fruit promises to be WI
portant industry in the future. SO wa
the new lands, but there are many he
'msing young orchards which will ele
ne into bearing within the next
, or three years. be-
Us a potato country this section is wa
hout rival. Although this in ella
try is comparatively new, Southern ito
no potatoes have already establish but
an enviable reputation and promises the
be an important factor in the mar rea
from now on. 1t can truthfully be the
that there are few places where firm
many crops can be raised as sue ma