Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08

the whole German empire. bigger than
Austria and Hungary combined and big
ger than France or the Spanish penin-
sula. Put it together and it would make
territory seven times as big as either
Ohio. West Virginia or Kentucky, ten
times as big as South Carolina and
thirty-seven times the size Of Massa-
chusetts. 1t would equal six New
Yofks five Georgias, four Minnesotas or
two CALIFORNIA;.
Some of this land is in the deserts
and it will be reclaimed by irrigation.
There is about 100000 acres Of this
character, an amount three times as
great as the cultivated parts of the
Nile valley, which supports more than
100000 people, and which in 1914
gave products for export amounting to
$120. 100000. Much Of the Nile land is
worth $500 per acre.
Fifteen million acres! 1t is just
about ten times the area we have al
ready turned into farm settlements by
our present reclamation projects. We
have now 100000 acres of those lands
in cultivation, and there are under water
100000 acres more which will soon be
in use. The amount already reclaimed
represents an investment of 100000
600, and the crops from it this year
will sell for more than half that
amount. At the present prices every
acre will produce $50 or upward per
aTluHl, anu every Ccul lNdl Tie sON-
eminent has laid out upon the land
will have been paid back by the farm
ers within twenty years.
Those tracts are now Inhabited by
$4,000 families who own taxable farm
property worth more than 300,000,000.
They are now producing crops which
will annually sell for 500. 200 900. or
seven million dollars more than all the
gold taken out Of the United States in
1916 In other words the lands we have
already reclaimed are yielding more
than all the gold mines of the United
States including those of Alaska, and
that notwithstanding when the
youngest boys now in the draft were
raw red babies those lands were as
barren and dry as the most arid part
of the Sahara. All this comes from
100000 acres and the engineers say
we have ten times as much which can
be developed as homes for the soldiers.
The reclamation lands are now yield
ing the government about $9,000,000
per annum. which is applied to new
projects. 1t is believed that similar
results will be had in connection with
the farms for the soldiers.
But the deserts are the smallest
factor in this great reclamation prop
osition. Their available lands are not
one-fifth as large as the swamps. We
have scattered over the United States
swamp lands having an area of sew
enty-tive or eighty million acres. UNI
derlaid with soil as rich as that of
the deserts. The total Is larger than
Great Britain and Ireland and equal
in extent to the three states of In
diana, Illinois and Ohio. 1t is ten
times as large as Holland, a drained
country which is now feeding almost
six million people; and at the same
ratio it could feed sixty million. or
more than half of our whole popula-
ton. Holland is now draining the
Zuider Zee to get more land. and the
work is costing in the neighborhood
of 5000 per acre. Many of our swamps
can be drained for a few dollars per
acre, and the surveys and plans for
some Of them have already been made.
Before the war in Europe began the
topographers of the geological sur
vey had mapped out about 10000. zoe