The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-02-04
THE MAGIC OF IRRIGATION
Idaho Falls, Idaho, Jan. "a, 1916
Editor Oroville Gazette

Oils, iuouO1 Jdu. lVIV'
Editor Oroville Gazette
Dear Sir:-In little outing from
the routine of life in the Okanogan.
we find ourselves here in the midst
Of an irrigated section, and with all
the interest of an up-to-date Oka-
noganite we have been taking in what
irrigation is doing for others.
The Snake river valley at this place
is a high plateau of sagebrush land
with an altitude of 4,S00 feet, of great
extent and carrying soil very much
the same as is found in the Okanogan.
There are thousands of acres now I'M
der irrigation and have been for some
ten years or more, and the transfOr-
nation of the country is simply most
wonderful.
In meeting with farmers in Okano-
gan we have heard it remarked that
alfalfa could not be grown up on our
highlands, it was too cold" Well,
here Is land higher than any ranch in
Okanogan, where the thermometer
Knocked the foundation from under
"a below zero. a day or two ago. with
thousands of acres Of alfalfa, cutting
three crops with a yield of from five
to eight tons to the acre. Not too cold
there. A great area is also devoted to
the potato crop, it being one Of the
great staple crops of this section, but
second to the grain crop. Wheat, rye,
cats and barley are grown with the
highest degree Of success, a failure Of
crops being unknown, thanks to irriga-
ton. The sugar beet industry is also
very largely developed, and large
sugar factory here is taking care Of
the great crops produced. Another
branch of the work, one that has been
discovered in Oroville lately, seed
growing" is bringing in a handsome
profit, the main article being seed
peas. 1t is too high for beans. At the
warehouse in this place, that receives
the pea crop. there are in addition 10
the most modern cleaning machinery,
some sixty girls employed in hand
picking from an endless belt, all I'M
perfect peas, or other matter that mey
have escaped the machine. This crop
is all grown on contract price an
nounced in the spring, and is giving
the producers from $50 to $50 per ncre,
and several thousand car loads are
shipped from here each year. Dairyiug
is also carried on quite extensively
with gratifying results, with beef cat
tie and hogs adding to the steady In
come of the farmer. These productions
are wide spread and general, and can
best be appreciated by observing the
great number of buyers and the ware
houses provided for receiving the diff
ferent crops from the producers.
Honey also fills an important part Of
the many other sources of wealth that
is raised here.
Idaho Falls claims to be the largest
out shipping point of agricultural pro-
ducts of any place in the United States
which has all been brought about by
irrigation, and l am convinced that
very few of our Okanogan people as
yet begin to realize what our irriga-
ton project will do for us if we apply
ourselves to it, If this valley, at IN
altitude of 5000 feet, limited to certain
hardy crops, can produce such won
derful results what can be expected Of
our own valley where not only all
these crops can be grown at greater
success, but almost anything else that
one could desire can also be grown
with equally as good results. A few
weeks spent in these surroundings is
surely boost to the determination of
any man interested to reach out with
both hands to grasp all the advantages
that irrigation holds for us.
Prices here are excellent and the
marketing of the various crops grown
is very brisk at this time. With wheat
at $1.15, oats $1.10. barley $1.25, po-
tatoes $1.30, alfalfa So to $40, beef 10
cents, pork cents, the raisers of these
products are surely reaping golden
harvest from their little drops Of wa
ter mingled with the sand. But Okla
hogan valley, with an altitude of less
than 1000 feet, can discount this place
in every way. We have the soil, we
have the water, we have the climate
and when we meet these with the ener.
gy required to put them in operation
the zone of plenty" will surely be the
banner of the Okanogan irrigation
district.
Yours truly,
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