222 THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



be reclaimed exceeds 130,000 acres. In 1890 the acres irrigated, out- 

 side of the reservations, numbered 217,005; in 1900 they numbered 

 602,568. In other words, by the opening of new ditches and canals 

 between 1890 and 1900, by the enlargement of canals previously 

 constructed, and as the result of better methods of water distribution? 

 385,935 acres were added to the productive area of the state. Most 

 of this land was public domain in 1890, and comparatively valueless. 

 At a low estimate its present value is $12,060,406, an average of 1)31.25 

 an acre. Thus, irrigation has in 10 years increased the improved area 

 by 37.6 per cent, and has added approximately $12,000,000 to the farm 

 wealth of the state. 



"The total number of acres of irrigated crops is 508,183, while the 

 total number of acres of land irrigated is 608,718. The difference of 

 100,535 acres represents approximately the acreage of pasture land 

 irrigated, and the area of land summer fallowed. It is probable that 

 a portion of the area upon which crops were reported as grown with- 

 out irrigation was really irrigated at some time during the year. 



"The number of acres of irrigated land for each mile of ditch is 

 121, while the number of acres under ditch for each mile is 271. The pres- 

 ent number of ditcher, if furnished with sufficient water and properly 

 managed, would, therefore, more than double the cultivable area. 

 The average cost of constructing the ditches was about $1,028 per 

 mile, $3.79 per acre of land under ditch, and $8.46 per acre of land 

 actually irrigated in the year 1899. An explanation of the high aver- 

 age per acre for all land irrigated is to be found in the fact that some 

 of the ditches reported were not completed early enough in the census 

 year to aid in maturing crops for that year; while from others, be- 

 cause of mismanagement, no adequate returns have been received for 

 the large sums expended in their construction. The average cost of 

 construction, per acre irrigated, of wisely planned and economically 

 constructed ditches, does not vary much from the average cost of 

 water right. 



"The average value per acre of land under ditch not yet prepared 

 for irrigation, though within reach of ditches, is $9.51, while that of 

 irrigated land is $31.25. The difference represents the value added by 

 irrigation. Of the 17,471 farms in the state, including those in the 

 Indian reservations, 9,188 are irrigated and 6,283 are unirrigated. The 

 acres in the irrigated farms number 1,677,398 and the unirrigated 

 1,529,585. The value of all land in the irrigated farms, not including 

 buildings, is $21,850,135, and in the irrigated farms $13,636,233. The 

 average size of all farms is 183 acres, and that of irrigated farms 182 

 acres, while the average area of irrigated land in each irrigated farm 

 is 66 acres. For farms making use of irrigation, the average value of 

 the product for the census year not fed to live stock, was $7. 29 per 



