Republican farmer., 1919-10-17
PITTmAN-EvANS
 ACT WILL MAKE LAND PRODUCTIVE
Will Make Arid Acres Source of Great
 Wealth.

Washington, D. C., Oct. l5-Ihe conversion of large sections of arid land in the West into some of the most productive garden spots of America never ceases to excite the wonderment of those of the East, Middle West and South who are bless ed with large and small rivers in abundance and a heavy annual rain fall Yet they cannot realize that, literally speaking, the opportunities for transforming aridity into wealth are today greater than ever because of advanced legislation and the me chanical ingenuity of man.
 A bill recently passed by both Houses of Congress as the result of the work of Senator Key Pittman and Representative Charles R. Evans, both of Nevada, is the latest bit of Iegis- 1ation along this line, and it makes possible the turning of IS million non productive acres in that state into sources of the agricultural wealth through one of the most peculiar conditions that whimsical Mother Nature has evolved in ftrtiIe America for the tantaIizing of those who till the soil.
 Although the bill just passed re- lates entirely to Nevada there are many other contiguous Western States where similar conditions pre- vail and which in time undoubtedly will secure an extension of the act to their arid lands, involving many mil lions of acres. This should be borne in mind in appreciat:ng the possi- bilities of this Pittman- Evans meas ure, for it may mean much in future years to the United States in an agricultural way.
 ba h lands of Nevada is known as the father of the present irrigation law, but because at the time of this leg islation he was practically the only Democratic Senator from west of the Missouri river he could not extend his efforts to the extent he desired.
 Senator Pittman, his successor, and also a Democrat, has battIod strenu- ously ever since, having worked on the new law for four years He passed it through the Senate on three occasions, only to see the then Re publican Congressman from Nevada fail utterly to get it through the House.
 MT Evans, the new Democratic Congressman front Nevada, however, succeeded in his first term after five months work, without amen d111ent and despite the vigorous opposition of the Republican floor leader in the House.
 The Newlands act took care of all the surface water and impounding of the flood waters, but it was not capable of irrigating more than or three hundred thousand acres. so far as Nevada was concerned, while 1S,- 100000 acres of level. fertile Govern ment land in that state alone remain ed untillable. Senator Pittman pre- diets that irrigation will make the famous Sagebrush state the greatest agricultural comm onweaIth in the Union.
 The Pittman act allows any citizen of the United States to obtain a per init for wate~ development on 2500 acres, a sufficient area in which to al low enough experim mentatiOn in the binking of wells and the handling of the water for irrigation purposes If in two years the locator has demon Btrated the practicability of irrigat- Ing the land by flowing weIIs or pumping water he is given title to one-fourth of his location. or $40 acres The remaining three-quarters will be thrown open to location by homesteaders.
 As to the expense Of the experf- men it can be stated in approxi-
 
 well in Nevada is $3 a foot, and that artesian water is discovered at from 15O to 500 feet depth. One such well will irrigate 20 acres. These figures indicate the comparative in responsiveness of the development and the rich possibilities in the way of returnls from 20 irrigated acres.
 Such wholesale irrigation by pri- vate individuals and corporations would mean much to Nevada, and thousands have been clamoring for mary years past for the chance the Pittman act gives them. Irrigation would make possible Q tremendous increase in the production of alfalfa, and a sufficient production of alfalfa would mean marvellous strides ahead In dairying, the raising of hogs ard the feeding of range cattle for the market.
 The curious sUbterranean rivers of Nevada seldom run on the surface Occasionally the stream encounters ridge, forcing the water to the sur Gace for q short distance; then the sandv soil woos it back underground.