1 3 o 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



sixty cents a day. Laborers have submitted with 

 as jjood grace as possible to a reduction of from 15 

 to 25 per cent. 



The disorganization of the sugar industry resulting 

 from the discontinuance of bounty, is resulting in all 

 sorts of contracts for leasing and working on shares. 

 It is discouraging to the taking of personal risks by 

 the large planters. 



NEBRASKA. 



The Lincoln State Journal says the legislature 

 owes it to the State to do something for the encour- 

 agement of irrigation. There is no truth more patent 

 to the practical observer than that the Nebraska 

 farms, as a rule, are too large. Whenever a farmer 

 holds a larger amount of land than he ought to own, 

 having it encumbered for one-third or one-half its 

 value, it is apparent that he should divide with some 

 other farmer, and each of them hold his share free 

 and clear of encumbrance. 



At a recent farmers' institute held in Wescott 

 many interesting papers were i ead, covering a variety 

 of topics, and a resolution of thanks to the people 

 who have assisted the Nebraska sufferers was passed. 



The Cozad Irrigation Company have resumed work 

 on their canal and will push construction rapidly. 

 Mr. A. P. Kittel, of North Platte, is the engineer, 

 and he will complete the survey at once. 



Farmers along Frenchman Creek, near Kearney, 

 are taking out individual irrigating ditches. 



Some of the scenes connected with the distribution 

 of donated supplies have been far from edifying, and 

 yet pathetic. The complications which have arisen 

 through a partial provision for State aid, and the con- 

 flict of authority between official and volunteer com- 

 mittees have delayed the delivery, in many cases, 

 until serious losses have occurred. Perishable arti- 

 cles, like potatoes, etc., have been rendered almost 

 worthless. It is an unfortunate condition of affairs. 



NORTH DAKOTA. 



Irrigation is being much talked about in North 

 Dakota, and many farmers are taking hold of it in a 

 practical way. The windmill and water-power pump 

 will be factors of vast importance in the future 

 economy of the State. 



UTAH. 



The Utah Sugar Company has secured contracts 

 for 3,400 acres of sugar beets, and have closed their 

 books. This is as large a quantity as the Lehi factory 

 can take care of. The contracts were made on a basis 

 of $4 per ton. 



Construction has been commenced on the Mt. Nebo 

 Reservoir'and Canal in Utah and Juab counties, Utah, 

 south of Utah Lake. It has taken some two years to 

 secure the lands which will be overflowed and the 

 rights of way through improved lands, and a con- 

 siderable expenditure. It is to utilize the waters of 

 Current Creek, and will irrigate from 25,000 to 30,000 

 acres of land in the fork between the Rio Grande 

 Western and Union Pacific railways. A reservoir 

 six miles long and a mile wide, with a capacity of a 

 billion cubic feet, is a feature of the system. The 

 policy is to divide it into small farms, and give 

 special attention to the cultivation of fruit and sugar 

 beets. The cost is to be about $150,000, and it is said 

 the capital has already been secured. 



A potato starch factory is being constructed at 

 Mt. Pleasant. 



WASHINGTON. 



The Latah Beet Sugar Company has been organ- 

 ized at Spokane with D. T. Ham as president; capi- 

 tal stock, 300,000. The work of laying the founda- 

 tion for a beet sugar factory at Latah is already un- 

 der way. The people have donated a site of fifty 

 acres. 



About eighty acres of land in the Sunnyside dis- 

 trict will be planted to sorghum cane this spring. It 

 was found a very profitable crop last year. 



A plucky woman, Mrs. Alice Houghton, has been 

 making earnest efforts to secure an exhibit of the 

 State productions of Washington for display in Chi- 

 cago. She failed to get individual recognition, so 

 made application at the State capitol, and secured 

 from the legislature a small appropriation for that 

 purpose. It is that sort of work that will make times 

 improve. 



WYOMING. 



The State senate made formal inquiry of State En- 

 gineer Mead as to the unused appropriations of water 

 within the State. He says: "In reply to the inquiry 

 as to the amount of unused appropriated water, it is 

 impossible to state specifically whether or not each 

 appropriation is being fully used, but it is believed 

 the greater number of the appropriations determined 

 and established are being used in good faith. While 

 your inquiry does not ask for the information, it may 

 be stated that seventy-five per cent, of the water is 

 both unappropriated and unused. There is not even 

 a claim against two of the largest streams in the 

 State. The unappropriated water which ran to 

 waste in another of our largest streams last year in a 

 single day would irrigate 50,000 acres of land. While 

 some of the smaller streams of the State are fully 

 appropriated or over-appropriated, there is a large 

 surplus in each of the more important ones." 



State Engineer Mead and State Treasurer Hay 

 were in Douglas recently inspecting the proposed 

 routesand plans of the Douglas Light and Power Com- 

 pany plant. 



Municipilization of public service is being carried 

 forward rapidly in Canada. A bill is pending before 

 the Dominion Parliament authorizing the city of 

 Toronto to establish a Fire Bureau under the control 

 of the three commissions. The bureau will have en- 

 tire charge of the fire department, and will also con- 

 duct a regular insurance business, requiring all prop- 

 erty to be insured, and collecting the premiums in the 

 form of additional taxes. Old insurance will remain 

 in effect for a short time, but when the present policies 

 expire the compulsory municipal insurance becomes 

 operative. 



THE NEW BOOK. 



Coin's Financial School continues to attract wide 

 attention. It is written in an entertaining style that 

 does not fail to interest and instruct. It goes to the 

 very root of the idea of bimetallism, and readily 

 demonstrates that free coinage of silver is the rem- 

 edy for existing monetary conditions. 



