Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-07

project is bond that brings them
into the closest relationship. An irrl-
cation farmer has TO work with his
ntlShbors. in tho use OF water at leaEt.
the native Mexican inha hitants OF New
M"Nico are "A good example OF this
lheSe people have been farming in
n small way by irrigation for centuries
!he rights OF water and the use OF the
ditch Is one Of the big local questions
with them. over which they used TO
meet and conEpirc and PLAY politics In
more primitive times TO their hearts
content. Tho Office ri "maybrdomo" of
IN" bitches. the man who regulates the
Use Of water. was one of the most
sought after in each county. and car
ried with II much OF power and dig.
nifty.
Co-Opcrntion Fostcrrd.
This same cooperative use OF the
precious water has proved the start
Ing point FOR successful cooperation
along "a score Of lines for the new
American farmers The reclamation
service only administers each system
until tn" local residents have formed
. water users association TO take
charge Of It. out OF these associations,
OF which Their. are over 100 in opera
ton. nave grown associations for CO.
operative work on roads. schools. can
ncries, creamcrics, diaries. livestock
breeding. the raising OF special high
priced crops and, above all for market
ing the p;oducts--thc point where the
ta;ucr is in greatest need OF coop
crativc effort. one community has
hired an expect manager at a salary OF
5000 n year Ia handle this end OF
iLclr affairs. He makes "A study Of crop
situations and markets all over the
country, sees 20 the grading and pack
ing Of the fruits and vegetables. and
stands out for fair price.
The cooperation Is just as notice
able in social lines. Irrigation farm
ing Is intensive farming for the most
part, on tracts that average forty
acres. The old isolation Of IN. farm
household Is not IN evidence. Houses
aicng the highroad will average from
sixteen TO thirtytwo TO the mile
hardly moro isolated than suburban
residences. Such a state OF affairs does
away with the old loneliness OF the
rural household that was hardest on
the women, and makes the schooling
problem easy OF solution.
Towns Arc Up-to-Dnte.
Many OF the reclamation communal
ties are surprisingly up-to-date. There
is one little town in Idaho where all
the stores and most of the residences
are not lighted but heated with cleo
tricity. Most OF the cooking In that
town is done by electricity. The same
current is carried TO more than fifty
outlying Misunderstanding the only
farms in the world that do electric
cooking. This state of affairs rises
from the fact that the big storage dam
was being used to develop electric
power for pumping. In winter most
of the pumps were idle. and the power
was unused until the settlers took IT
over. The homestcader cannot take
much credit for such circumstance:
but that Same little town of GOO peo-
pie bonded itself to put up a $4,000
schoolhouse. and runs system OF
carriages through the neighborhood to
bring the children to school.
The demand for farms has been
greater than the supply. To-day on
all the twenty-siX projects there are
only about $50 farms open TO entry IN
the fail, however. about 1000 new ones
will be available in Wyoming, Nebras-
ka. and Colorado.
The new lands have not lacked their
quota Of failures. The problem of
successful irrigation farming Is no
light one, and differs considerably
from farming in district with album
dant rainfall. 1t calls for deter
mination, ability and some capital in
the shape Of cash and equipment The
land is ditchcd and supplied with wa
and grcasewood. Some who under
ton of lis difficulties have gone back
defeated. But men of all classes
stcnoSraphers, motormcn, dry goods
gine- drivers, as we'll farmers have
taken hold with will and made n
home and n success.