NEWS AND NOTES 



241 



WHAT THE FARM PRODUCED 



The following list shows the proportion 

 of posts and telegraph poles cut by G. M. 

 Miinger and E. P. Riggle on the Catalpa 

 Knob plantation. The posts are graded in 

 thickness, varying from two and one-half to 

 five inches : 



First-grade posts 8,017 



Second-grade posts 102,700 



Third-grade posts 133.770 



Fourth-grade posts 142,480 



Fifth-grade posts 48,750 



Telegraph poles I9i045 



Total 454.762 



The average price received for each post 

 was just under 7^ cents; the cost of cutting, 

 I cent, and of hauling ^ cent, thus netting 

 about 6 cents a post, or about $27,285 on the 

 whole crop. 



There are two other successful catalpa 

 plantations in Kansas — the Yaggy planta- 

 tion at Hutchinson and the Hunnewell at 

 Farmington. 



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Draining the Everglades 



The work of draining the Everglades of 

 Florida is progressing in a satisfactory man- 

 ner. Hon. A. C. Croom, of Florida, recently 

 devoted some two weeks to inspecting the 

 dredges and draining operations in the Ever- 

 glades, and, on his return, gave an encour- 

 aging report of progress. The end of the 

 year, he claims, will disclose the reclama- 

 tion of a considerable portion of this vast 

 area of hitherto valueless land. Money is 

 to become available from the Bolles' sale, 

 and this fund will be utilized as fast as pos- 

 sible in furtherance of the great project 



A vigorous demand has already sprung 

 up for these lands, and the state could now 

 easily dispose of every acre of them. It is 

 recognized, however, that with the progress 

 of drainage, the value of the lands will 

 steadily enhance, until, by the completion 

 of the work, they will command such prices 

 as are obtained for the rich prairie lands of 

 the western states. 



This project, if successful, will open up 

 for settlement a section almost as great 

 as the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, 

 and Connecticut combined, and richer in fer- 

 tility than the valley of the Nile. Instead 

 of being a habitation of Seminoles and 

 crocodiles, it is expected to become, within 

 a few years, the home of thousands of 

 prosperous and contented farmers. Instead 

 of converting all these lands into private 

 ownership, the Drainage Board have wisely 

 reserved each alternate section in the re- 

 cent sale and, by so doing, will reap for 



the state a substantial reward in the great 

 enhancement of value which is certain to 

 follow the success of the project. 



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Opening of the Payette --Boise Project 



Five thousand people, including represent- 

 atives of the Reclamation Service, Governor 

 Brady, and members of the Idaho Legisla- 

 ture, witnessed, on February 22, the formal 

 opening of the Payette-Boise Project, one 

 of the largest reclamation works undertaken 

 by the Federal Government. When the head- 

 gates of the canal were raised, the waters 

 of the Boise Valley were diverted to more 

 than 200,000 acres of land. 



The scene of the ceremony was at the 

 big dam, eight miles above Boise, which 

 provides the source of water for the south 

 side section of the project. From this point 

 water is diverted into canal systems cover- 

 ing Ada and Canyon counties. One canal 

 carries water to the Deer Flat Reservoir, 

 which is the largest artificial body of water 

 in the world. This reservoir will be filled 

 before the irrigation season begins, and 

 waters will be stored for use during the dry 

 season. 



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Progress on the Uncompahgre Project 



An advance of 600 feet was made on the 

 Gunnison Tunnel, Uncompahgre Irrigation 

 Project, Colorado, during February, leaving 

 only 2,340 feet between headings on March 

 I. At the river portal fifty feet of tunnel 

 were timbered and forty-five feet lined with 

 concrete. In the west heading 345 feet of 

 lining were placed. At the present rate of 

 progress the opening should be made in 

 July, but so much difficult material has been 

 encountered in excavating this tunnel that 

 it is not safe to make any predictions. The 

 flow of water throughout the month of Feb- 

 ruary amounted to 8.5 second-feet at the 

 west portal and 1,282,000 gallons per day at 

 east portal. There was an unusual number 

 of storms during the month, which greatly 

 increased the difficulty of handling sand and 

 gravel in concreting in renewing and re- 

 pairing structures, but the work of clean- 

 ing the canal system was nearly com- 

 pleted. The heavy snowfall in the moun- 

 tains gives promise of a better water supply 

 than the valley has enjoyed for many years. 



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Lands Restored to Public Domain 



About 130,000 acres of land which were 

 withdrawn from any form of disposition 

 whatever under the public land laws, in con- 

 nection with the Salt River Irrigation Proj- 

 ect, Arizona, have been restored to the 



