Evening star., 1922-08-20

Big Variation In Values.
From the reclamation record also
are taken certain figures which meas
ure the success of irrigation from the
farmers standpoint. An elaborate ta-
BILE shows the value of the crops per
acre grown On the various pro)ects,
the general average being given as
S42.S5. This average is attained by
taking the per-acre crop value or all
projects and dividing by "a. the num-
ber of projects. But the average IS
made thus high by reason Of the fact
that the Yakima and OkanOgan val
1eys of Washington, which furnish the
winter apple supply for Washington
and other eastern markets, nave
rolled up unprecedented returns OF
$1164O in the case of Yakima and $685.
per acre in the Okanogan valley.
That these per-acre yields are not
typical of the irrigated country Is
shown by the fact that the nearest
approach to these figures is a $59S1
per-acre value on the Salt river prof.
ect Arizona-high because OF its
fruits. The Orland project in Cali.
fornia comes third with a value OF
s43So. Eliminating the two wonder
full fruit projects of Washington.
which are in a class by themselves.
and the average crop return on all
s27.35 per acre. In contrast to the
high yield in the Washington districts
there was one irrigation project with
a crop yield of only $S.06 per acre last
year. another with $S15 and a third
with $932 There were nine projects
acre.
ExcelIed In the East.
According to, the Department of
Agriculture. thirteen eastern states.
which spend nothing for irrigation to
make their lands productive. have a
greater yield per acre than the true
average of the irrigation projects
built by the government. Connect
cut leads with an average of SSs.46
per acre; then in order come Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Islands, New Jersey,
New Hampshire, Maine, North Caro-
lima Florida. Vermont, New York.
West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Nlr-
ginia.
The expenditure of s132.0oo.ooo of
government money loaned" to the
west has produced an average crop
yield of $27.35. Thirteen old states
of the east exceed that yield without
a cent Of government aid.
One reason for the relatively low
averages on the irrigation projects
is the fact that more irrigated land
is devoted to growing hay and fodder
than to anSsother crops. Fruits are
second in Importance among the irri-
gated crops, but more than half OF all
the fruit produced on government
projects comes from the Yakima and
OkaGogan valleys of Washington:
vegetables and truck stun are third
in Importance and cereals occupy
bad fourth place.
QuestiOn of Repayment.
1t is evident from the facts official
ly stated that the government irri-
cation projects could be made to re-
pay the cost of construction; the crop
returns are ample. on their face, to
enable the farmers to meet their OBJ
legations to the government. This is
the comment contained in the recla-
nation record as bearing on this par
ticular question:
"It is evident from study of the
data here presented that, as indi-
Gated by Secretary Fall. the slow re-
turn from some of the projects has
not been based directly upon physical
conditions; that is. has not been di-
rectly controlled by climate. soils.
crops or markets. but has been in
fluenced by less tangible conditions
which have been classed as socfologi-
cal, or have been included under the
term of morale" that is. of the will
ingness on the part of individuals
and communities TO make certain
sacrifices or endure discomforts in
order to pay these moneys to the gov
ernment, so that in turn other peo-
pie and communities might share in
the benefits of the reclamation act"
The reclamation act Is. in fact. a
revolving fund" AS quickly as money
is repaid by settlers 1t goes back in
to the fund. to be used in building
new projects. 1t was the expectation
of Congress when the reclamation
lam was passed that the fund would
make one complete revolution every
ten years, and that promise was given
by the west. But instead Of one revo-
luton, the fund has revolved exactly
81 per cent of the way around In
twenty years, or at a rate that would
require 200 years to make complete
revolution. With this record official
ly established, the west is now back
asking Congress for a new loan, but
the west has not the votes to put
through a strictly irrigation loan, so
It has Joined hands with the south and
proposes now a joint loan of $780,
100000 to irrigate the arid lands of
the west and the swamp lands OF
the south. 1t wants new revolving
fund