IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS. 



37 



The high cost is further shown by the followins: table, showing the 

 cost of water rights under Carey Act projects in Idaho: 



Tabic uf Idaho Carey-Act projects, icith coat per acre and date of opening. 



Name of company. 



Marysville Canal Company 



American Falls Canal and I'ower Company 



Canyon Canal Company 



Twin Falls Land and Water Company 



Twin Falls North Side Land and Waler'Company 



Pratt Irriuation Company 



Portnouf Marsh \"alley Irrii^ation Company 



Twin Falls North Side Land and Water Company (second segregation) 



Huston Diteh Company 



Idaho Irri.milion Company 



Twin Falls Salmon River Irrigation Company 



Twin Falls Clover Creek Irrij:al ion Company 



Big Lost River Irrigation Com|)any 



West End Twin Falls Irrigation Company 



Idaho Irrigation Company {second segregation) 



King Hill Irrigatio!! and I'ower Company 



Twin Falls Oakley Irrigation Company.". 



Idagon Irrigation Company 



Twin Falls Land and W ater Company E.xtension 



Owyhee Irrigation Comjiany 



Southern Idaho Reclamation Company 



Assuming then that the cost of the reclamation works represents 

 an average for all the works now under construction, there is an 

 increase of 327 per cent over the average cost of works built prior 

 to 1902. 



The great increase in the area nndor ditch and the enormously 

 increased cost at which the land is being brought under ditch are the 

 dominant factors of the irrigation situation at the present time. The 

 high cost limits settlement to persons with considerable capital, and 

 at the same time limits the crops which may be grown to those giving 

 large returns per acre. During the first few years after works are 

 built maintenance charges are large, and if the lands are not settled 

 at once these must be added to the purchase price, making the situa- 

 tion more and more acute. The situation is this: A large area of land 

 under expensive works, requiring immediate settlement by persons 

 with considerable capital who must at once bring the land into a high 

 state of productiveness. To oll'.set this, there is undoubtedly an un- 

 usually strong desire on the part of a great many i)eople to go from 

 the cities onto the land, to leave the life of the factory, the store, 

 and the office for that of the independent producer. The intensive 

 cultivation of a small area, with an assured water supply and a large 

 and assured return appeals to them. (Jreat niiinbers of such people 

 are buying tlic high-priced irrigated lands. They are a high class 

 of citizens and, as a rule, they have some little capital, but generally 

 they are ignorant of agriculture in any form, and almost universally 

 they are totally ignorant of irrigation. They are abandoning the 

 occupations of a lifetime for a new one of which they know nothing, 



