THE IRR1 GA 2 ION A GE, 41 1 



of depression but are all coming to the front again, as good proposi - 

 tions. 



The several farming districts along the smaller streams have farm 

 co-operative ditches, built by the land owners and controlled by them 

 at little expense. The Union canal, carrying water to many of the 

 farms and orchards near North Yakima is one of the old co-operative 

 ditches, merged into a corporation. Water rentals are made by annual 

 assessments, under the direction of a board, which estimates the pro- 

 bable expense of cleaning ditch and distributing water. The assess- 

 ment for this season is 25 cents an acre. The Congdon canal is one of 

 the most expensive of the kind ever built in the northwest. It carries 

 a large volume of water around the perpendicular cliffs of the Matchez 

 river, in a box flume mounted on trestlework, and crosses a deep can- 

 yon, by dropping into a barrel fume and forcing itself out on the 

 opposite bank, several feet above the canyon bed. 



Yakima Valley has a score or more of fine artesian wells, flowing 

 large volumes, which is used upon land that cannot be reached by the 

 gravity canal system. The water holds a temperature of about 60 

 degrees, which makes the locations suitable for poultry raising, as it 

 may be piped through the houses and made to take the place of fuel 

 in keeping them at a uniform temperature during the winter months. 

 In some of the river bottoms there is a subirrigation from the streams 

 that supplies all the moisture necessary for growing the cereals and 

 alfalfa without tha application of surface water. This does not apply 

 to any part of the valley except the lower river bottoms, as the valley 

 in general is very dry, the average rainfall being less than six inches 

 annually. Very little snow falls during the winter, and that is gener- 

 ally taken away in a few days by the warm "Chinook" winds, from the 

 Columbia river canyon. 



Irrigation is almost universally performed by the furrow system, 

 the water being applied by running between the rows of trees or culti- 

 vated fields. Every water user has an individual ditch from which he 

 takes the water at any time he sees fit, and distributes it upon his 

 crops. No failures ever come from the deficiency of water, but many 

 make the mistake of using too much on certain crops. The soil is of 

 a volcanic formation, except in the river beds, and very productive, if 

 properly irrigated and sufficiently cultivated. There is but little small 

 grain grown in this valley, as much cheaper land can be utilized in the 

 Big Bend and Palause districts north and east, where irrigation is not 

 practiced, and the early spring rains furnish enough moisture to mature 

 wheat and barley, which are grown very extensively. 



Alfalfa is the principal farm crop of this section. It yields from 

 6 to 8 tons from the three annual cuttings, per acre. The hay is baled 

 and shipped to the Puget Sound markets or fed to cattle and sheep on 

 the farms or in the vicinity. The price ranges about 84.00 per ton in 

 the stack, with fluctuations in the fall and spring. Several home 



