Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-04
Bv M, ALEXANDER
Governor of Idaho.

~ occasioned by wise progressive leg
isation under the leadership OF that
modern statesman, Woodrow Wilson, presl-
dent of the United States, the whole coun-
try is thriving as never before, Idaho in
cluded, and it is very hard to predict what
is likely to follow in the wake of this golden
era. Idaho is enjoying the blessings of this
wonderful boon of craftsmanship as we'll as
the natural advantages from climatic and
soil conditions that may be termed bless
ings bestowed, which are hard to enumerate
and with its many resources yet untouched
by the hands of men, it is indeed a field
where the man and woman of courage are
yet enabled to recoup losses of older states
and begin anew to build up fortunes for
years in the future under the most favorable
auspices that any country can offer.
Idaho has millions OF acres of govern
ment land which can be had under the en-
larged homestead act for 800 acres, and un-
der the new grazing homestead act tor o40
acres with scarcely any expense, capable OF
making anyone we-to-do with reasonable
amount OF energy and forethought.
Timber abounds in nearly one-half Of the
state and is inexhaustibe as far as supply
goes, at least for hundreds of years. Some
OF the best product for wood pulp goes to
waste and still the cry of high priced paper
is resounding throughout the land. Lum-
Der of all kinds is manufactured and ship
ped to all the markets of the world and new
mills are being erected of such gigantic
proportions that the output reaching mil
lions of feet battles the human mind, and
with it all the timber resources are hardly
yet touched.
In Shoshone, Custer, Owyhee and Blaine
counties, gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper and
tungsten mines are being developed and the
lead and zinc mines have made millionaires
by the score in the last year. The copper
belt in the Seven Devils district needs but
the touch of men and capital to turn it into
a veritable Butte district, and still the min
ing industry in the state is yet in its in
fancy. With more capital and more pio-
neers, more wealth and more fortunes are
awaiting those who are willing to take a
chance.
The horticultural interests may be class
ed as the third largest in the union. Prunes
are adapted for our climate and soil and
there is hardly ever failure. Apples,
peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and
every variety of fruit thrives here, and with
the protection that the state furnishes the
trees are kept free from disease and the de-
velopment Of that branch of farming is GER
tanly on most solid and money-making
basis. If people from other states could
see the orchards around Lewiston Emmett
and Payette, they would be as much aston
ished as many of us are in seeing things that
we read about and have never seen. There
is nothing like it in the way of horticulture
anywhere in the world and year by year
the prune orchards are increasing. Those
who have tasted Idaho prunes never forget
the taste and the taste OF an Idaho prune
to one who has lived in the state brings
back the recollection of the snow-capped
peaks and fertile valleys.
The irrigated belt of Idaho comprises
millions of acres and is capable of an expan-
sion of millions more, as the water supply
can be conserved by dams and reservoirs
There is enough flood water going to waste
every spring in Idaho to irrigate millions
and millions of acres of land, and these irri-
gated lands are equal to lands of the Delta
of the Nile or any other in the world. Their
inexhaustible fertility and richness in pro-
duction, and the shortness of time in which
a crop is raised make them superior to any
other agricultural lands.
Irrigation is a science that is little un-
derstood in many countries and in many
of the states of our own country. 1t is the
highest class of farming known to the hui
man family, and the irrigated lands in the
state of Idaho will in the near future pro-
duce new type of civilization, such as the
world has never seen. Twenty to forty
acres OF land susceptible to irrigation, if in
tensey farmed, makes it possible for a man
to sustain family, and with these small
holdings dense population will be pro-