AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT 



more striking, dramatic, and economically signifi- 

 cant than this achievement. Let it be briefly 

 measured : 



In its consideration of what is designated as "the 

 arid region as a whole" the United States Census 

 of 1910 determines the total irrigated area to be 

 13,738,485 acres, of which the Pacific Slope States 

 include the following: 



Acres 



Arizona 320,051 



Utah ."!....."............!.... '. 999,410 



Nevada .......... '. I!!!!.!!....!! 701,833 



Idaho "..!........! '. ! 1,430,848 



Washington '.'. "...'. 334,378 



Oregon , 686,129 



California 2,664,104 



Total .7,136,753 



In addition to the above States the "whole arid 

 region" includes Montana, North and South Dakota, 

 Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, 

 Oklahoma and Texas, and the aggregate area is 

 about 1.8 millions square miles, of which the six 

 Pacific Slope States enclose .7 of one million. By 

 comparing areas it appears that about 40 per cent 

 of the area has more than 50 per cent of the irri- 

 gated acreage. 



In view of the impression created in the public 

 mind by popular publications, that irrigation de- 

 velopment is largely due to the beneficent work of 

 the government in the "reclamation of arid lands," 

 it should be noted that, of the 13,738,485 acres of 

 land irrigated in 1909, the government enterprises 

 irrigated in that year, directly or indirectly, but 

 857,111 acres, or one-sixteenth. 



It is important to emphasize this fact lest the 

 visiting observer should entertain the thought that 

 the wonderful achievements, of which he may see 

 the operation or the results, are the product of 

 paternalistic, promotive generosity on the part of 

 the general government. The sources of irrigation 

 achievements are very accurately measured by the 

 census of 1910 in this way, with reference to the 

 "whole arid region:" 



PERCENTAGES OP ACHIEVEMENTS BY PUBLIC AND 

 PRIVATE ENTERPRISES. 



Acreage Acreage 



capable of of capacity 



irrigation of all 



1910 projects 



U. S. Reclamation Service 4.1 6.3 



U. S. Indian Service 1.9 2.8 



Corey Act enterprises 5.6 8.3 



Irrigation districts _ 4.1 5.1 



Co-operative enterprises 32.0 28.4 



Individual and partnership enterprises. 39.6 32.6 



Commercial enterprises -12.5 16.5 



221 



