The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1916-02-23

private projects there are many sue
cessful farms of not more than ten,
twenty or forty acres, in fact they
are more successful than where n
larger area is attempted to be hand
led by persons with comparatively
limited means and with their own
labor. Those persons who have en-
tered 800 acres may make final
proof of reclamation of a lesser
amount and procure patent there
to. relinquishing the balance.
Again, under certain acts passed
subsequently to the desert-land act,
| persons may secure two extensions
of time of three years each when
unable to reclaim the land as a re-
suit of necessary delay in the con-
struction of works. These laws
have always been literally constru-
cd, hence the entryman in proper
/ case has ten years in which to pro-
cure a water supply for the land in
/ his entry. In addition to this, with
respect to entries made prior 10
/ July /, 1914, under an act passed
ON March 4. 1915, another and fur
ther extension of three years more
may be procured in cases where
there is a reasonable likelihood of
such entryman procuring water
supply for irrigation and he is not
able TO procure such extension un-
der other laws existing at that time.
This makes a total of thirteen years.
1t would seem. therefore. that to
require anything less than an ade-
quato water supply for all the ir
rlgable land sought to be patented
within these periods, would not be
conducive to the countrys develop
ment. and it certainly would not be
in compliance with the requirements
OF the law.
Generally speaking, ii should be
recalled that the purpose of the des-
ert-iand act is reclamation of des-
ert lands and placing them in culti-
vation for development of the eoun-
try and not merely an excuse TO give
somebody a patent to a piece of pub
lie land eight times as large as the
portion of which he has made any
beneficial use. The object of the
law would be defeated by that oper-
alton and the development of the
State not particularly aided there
by. Besides IL would be far better
for all concerned If four families
developed and made their homes on
800 acres at only the nominal gov
eminent cost for the lands, than II
would be for one man to develop
small portion of land and at the
same time keep everybody else from
using the rest of 1t.
Answering your question as to
the minimum water supply TO be
accepted on final proof, will say that
this is a difficult question to ans
wer because II varies so largely in
different sections of the country and
under different conditions. AS
rule, this Office has not aecetped less
than one acre foot per acre during
the irrigating season. This is doubt
less insufficient for alfalfa. particu-
larly in Nevada. You will doubtless
find on the Truckee-Carson project
that they are using three or four
feet and | apprehend that in the
Lovelock valley they run much ov-
er this amount. AS a rule, in the
administration of the desert-land
act, we do not begin to require the
showing of quantity of water sup
uly procured as the water users on
the government projects insist on
having, and make strong complaints
II they do not have il. | know that
on some projects some are insisting
on q right to use of as high as nine
acre-feet per acre. No doubt this is
excessive and no doubt the tendency
is where the water is available to
use too much, resulting in drowning
out the land and making drainage
necessary. II is true that in case of
orchards and grain crops a much
less water supply is being used very
successfully. We endeavor in the
administration of the desert-land
act to require such a water supply
as will enable the farmer to produce
general crops with fair success. In