IDAHO 



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IDAHO 



its chief natural resources. A number of mod- 

 ern plants for the production of power on a 

 large scale have already been erected. 



Climate. Considering its mountainous char- 

 acter and its northern situation, Idaho enjoys 

 a climate that is mild, free from extremes and 

 remarkably healthful. These mild conditions 

 are due first to its nearness to the Pacific 



IDAHO 



The map shows the boundaries of the state, the 

 leading cities and rivers, the locations of mineral 

 deposits and the highest point of land. 



Ocean, and secondly to the protection afforded 

 by the great continental divide. In the moun- 

 tain districts the winters are severe, with heavy 

 falls of snow, reaching seven to ten feet deep. 

 But even here some of the valleys are so 

 sheltered that flocks of cattle are able to roam 

 at large throughout the year. The heavy snow- 

 falls feed afterwards the numerous streams, 

 and their water is stored for irrigation pur- 

 poses, for the southern and central portions 

 of the state receive practically no rain during 

 the summer. The mean annual temperature 

 throuch the whole state is 455 F.; the aver- 

 age highest summer temperature is 100.8 F., 

 while the average lower temperature in winter 

 reaches 21.5 F. 



Forests. In Idaho are to be found some of 

 the largest virgin pine forests in the world. 

 The forests constitute one of the richest natu- 



ral resources of the state, covering nearly one- 

 fourth of its surface. It is estimated that five 

 per cent of the timber of the nation is found 

 in Idaho, and that its total stand amounts to 

 about 129 billion feet, board measure. About 

 20,000,000 acres of timbered land has been en- 

 closed in the national forest reserves. Its for- 

 ests contain evergreen and stately white pine, 

 gigantic red or Douglas fir, yellow pine, spruce, 

 birch, willow and hemlock. A great quantity 

 of logs are floated down the Clearwater River 

 to Lewiston, which has become an important 

 lumber market. 



Agriculture. In spite of great natural dis- 

 advantages, agriculture has made great strides 

 during the last few years in Idaho. Except 

 in the fertile broad valleys of the famous 

 Panhandle district, situated in the northern 

 part of the state, the soil is generally arid. 

 The region most suitable for agriculture lies 

 in the southern and central portions, namely 

 in the level plains found along the Snake 

 River basin and its tributaries. But the lack 

 of rain makes it practically valueless in its 

 natural state. It is here that extensive irriga- 

 tion works- have been constructed, which have 

 transformed a forbidding desert into smiling 

 gardens and fertile wheat-fields. 



Irrigation Works. Up to the present Idaho 

 possesses nearly 2,750,000 acres of irrigated 

 lands. It occupies fourth rank among the 

 states of the Union as regards its acreage un- 

 der irrigation. Some of the greatest irrigation 

 works in the world are situated here. Espe- 

 cially worthy of mention is the Arrowrock 

 Dam, a storage dam built across the Boise 

 River, which is 349 feet high, crest length 

 1,060 feet, with a reservoir capacity sufficient 

 to cover 245,000 acres with water to the depth 

 of one foot. This is the highest masonry dam 

 in the world, and the concrete in its building 

 amounted to 530,000 cubic yards. Among the 

 large projects that are nearly completed are 

 the Boise works, known as the Salmon River 

 dam, which will irrigate about 260,000 acres. 



Other great dam works are the dam across 

 the Snake River at Minidoka, which diverts 

 water for irrigating 119,000 acres, and the 

 great dam at Milner, also across the Snake 

 River. 



Products of the Soil. About ten per cent of 

 the total land area, which is about 53,346,560 

 acres, is occupied by farms, less than twelve 

 per cent of which are worked by tenant farm- 

 ers. Until 1915 by far the most important 

 crop, both as regards acreage under cultivation 



