Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-06
HOW THE WEST is ORGANIZING
ny rREDERIC j. HAsklS

WASlllNGTON. May "a recent
telegram to the ofiicc OF tho Rcclama-
t!on Service here states that over $1,000
have been raised by the farmers on
the reclamation project at Grand june
ton. Col. to- buy seed for tho planting
Ct all hitherto uncultivatcd lands on
the project. The farmers at Carlsbad.
y. NJ. have already completed arrange
ments FOR the use of cvcry arabic acre
OF that project. In tho Sacramento
Valley. farmers on the Orlando project
have made arrangements to cultivate
about 1000 acres Of land that have
not been irrigated heretofore, because
they were held by nonrcsidcnts or large
owners. to whom II is against the law
FOR tho government to furnish water
for irrigation. The Interior Depart
mcnt as war emergency measure
has promised to deliver the water for
Mh@tercr land is gotten ready for cul-
tration this year
Similar arrangements have already
been made on the Williston and lower
Yellowstone irrigation projects, aud
these arc only Il few OF the instances
Farmers on nearly every government
reclamation project in the West arc
making unitod effort. in rcaD ,nSc to
tho appeal Of tho Secretary OF the
Interior Lane, to place under cult
N2tion every acre OF land which can
he irrigated.
Last year there wcro 100000 acres
projects for which the Reclamation
Service was able to supply water for
Irrigation. but only about $4,000 acres
were actually under cultivation There
arc. therefore. nearly 100000 acres OF
lands. most OF them very fertile While,
arc ready 10 be cultivated. every a.
r!an'c for irrigation being supplic,.
but which are yielding nothing Scr-
rotary Lnnc estimates that these Inuds
would produce. SI5.oO0.o0O worth OF
food in 4 single year
1t is plain that this unusual land
affords one Of the easiest and mos,
direct waya of increasing our produr
ton of foodstufs. or course. there
arc uncultivated lands in almost every
county in the United States. but mos.
other reason difficult TO till. The rccia-
NATION lsnd., on tho other hand arc
rich virgin soil. ditchcd and ready to
he irrigated.
There arc various reasons why these
lands have DOT been cultivated before
Their owncrships N large holdings or
by nonrcsidcnts. which makes it illegal
Tor the government to supply the
water, is one OF tho most important
The Interior Department has already
taken measures to get around this diff
hcuiiN. and q bill drawn by the rccla-
nation officials has been introduced
INTO Congress by Representative Tav-
ior' or Colorado. to lcSaliXc these
measures, and TO make tho cultivation
or these lands q certainty.
Government supple. Water
Vhis law authorized tho government
TO supply wate" for irrigation wherever
- eau until december. 1920. Il also
empowers the secretary Of tho Interior
10 lease public lands within rcciama-
ton projects; 10 have public lands cul-
tifa'ch b! contract. and. finally. AS !,
war measure, /! he cannot secure tho
cultivation OF private lands in any
other way. - take them over and have
shem cultivated by government forcca
THIS last is tho most interesting nro-
vision Of tho bill From tho usy the
Wcstcrncrs arc responding 20 tho ?cc-
ret"rNs appeal. II docs not seem prob
able that II will bc necessary To take
Willingness on tho part OF tho pcopic
l" "uIiiNaic ihon. but II docs seem
probable that government forces may
nave TO hc used in cultivation because
az the scarcity OF all other labor
Troops may hc used in tho dcl1s Of
agriculture as we'll AS on the hcld> OF
battle. aud II may oven he that No
'an render tho allies Il better .ory.i,,.
hN cniis'iuE our mcn to raise fool sl,,.
plIcS than by ScndinE them to Europe
lhiS opinion is expressed by Morris
i'icn. who has executive charge Of lhc
work OF stimulating production ON the
reclamation projects. lie points out
thht mon who arc not physicall: at
for warfare could often be used ~ farm
labor. Since modern warfare = pri-
nari!y war Of material. il Is Ger