114 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



dredth meridian the possibilities of the development of 

 this boundless arid and semi-arid territiory of the West 

 are inconceivable or incomprehensible. If manuiac- 

 turers could but visit one or more of the well-known 

 irrigated . districts in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Cali- 

 fornia, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Wash- 

 ington and Montana, and compare the green fields and 

 bountiful crops with the sagebrush land in other sec- 

 tions of those States, they would readily grasp the 

 possibility for development of business along the line 

 of agricultural implements and vehicles in this West- 

 ern country when once a general movement is on foot 

 to reclaim, it. A careful examination of conditions 

 throughout this country demonstrates the fact that a 

 magnificent development has been accomplished under 

 private irrigation projects; and while the Government 

 will do much toward assisting to irrigate large areas 

 whose reclamation private corporations would hesitate 

 to attempt, it is our impression that the bulk of irri- 

 gation development throughout the West will event- 

 ually be found to be under private projects. We do 

 not mean to detract in any wa,y from the possible 

 strength of National aid, which is absolutely necessary 

 in certain cases, but all who we well posted on the 

 general subject of irrigation admit that private proj- 

 ects have, up to this time, proved the salvation of the 

 West and will co-ntinue to hold the lead in develop- 

 ment regardless of the large expenditures of the Fed- 

 eral Government under the Law of 1903. 



A general examination of some of the large Gov- 

 ernment projects, notably that of the Carson Reser- 

 voir in Nevada, demonstrates that it will take some 

 time to secure proper development, owing to the fact 

 that large undertakings of this character require much 

 time. 



Again, while in the West, the Chairman of this 

 Committee saw land which ten years ago could be 

 purchased for $1.25 per acre, and that now, under 

 cultivation by irrigation, commands readily from $100 

 to $400 per acre. Is it not reasonable to suppose that 

 a farmer who may be able to make his land earn 

 from $40 to $100 per acre annually is a possible good 

 customer for your wares and ours? It is a well-known 

 fact that there are hundreds of farmers throughout 

 the West who are cultivating from fifty acres upward 

 whose net income exceeds $100 per acre per year. 



"Another good feature about irrigation farming 

 which impressed your Committee is the fact that the 

 market for products raised under irrigation is prac- 

 tically unlimited, owing to the vast areas settled by 

 mining communities who have no means of securing 

 the necessities of life in the farm products excepting 

 from the irrigation farmer. This is especially true of 

 Nevada and Montana, where innumerable mining 

 camps are located. Nevada, however^ bids fair to be- 

 come divorced from a condition which heretofore lias 

 given the impression that its resources were practical- 

 ly worked to the full; for, by means of the great 

 irrigation projects on foot by the Reclamation Service, 

 which will sooner or later apply water to the millions 

 of acres of what has been demonstrated to be ex- 

 tremely fertile soil, Nevada will become transformed 

 from a State of arid desolation into one of the greatest 

 agricultural S'tates in the Union. Montana, too. is 

 large enough to support an enormous population in the 

 future when the lands become available for farms, 

 and great projects are now on foot to bring about the 

 storing of the waters of its rivers and streams so that 



they may be distributed through irrigation ditches over 

 the naturally rich soil of millions of acres. 



''We understand the Reclamation Service are now 

 surveying the Missouri River for the purpose of mak- 

 ing proper recommendations to Congress relative to 

 irrigating the arid portions of North Dakota, which, 

 when irrigated, would open up something like ten mil- 

 lion acres of land for agricultural purposes. 



"It was the good fortune of the Chairman of this 

 Committee to reach Denver at the time of the meeting 

 of the Live Stock Association of Colorado, some of the 

 sessions of which he attended, and where a good idea 

 of local Colorado conditions was obtained. The Chair- 

 inan met at that time Mr. E. H. Grubb, of Carbondale, 

 Colo., President of the Live Stock Association of that 

 State; Prof. L. f i. Carpenter, State Engineer of Colo- 

 rado; Prof. 0. V. Stout, at the head of irrigation in- 

 vestigations of the University of Nebraska ; and Mr. 

 Teel, Government Expert, Washington, D. C. There 

 were also present at this meeting the Honorable Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture, Mr. Wilson, together with Mr. 

 F. H. Newell, of the United States Reclamation Serv- 

 ice and Mr. Gifford Pinchot, chief of the Govern- 

 ment Forestry Bureau. Among others met and from 

 whom valuable information was obtained, may be men- 

 tioned Messrs. Fort and Darlow, of the passenger de- 

 partment of the Union Pacific Railroad, both of whom 

 very kindly gave such information and assistance a^ 

 was in their possession. Mr. Darlow gave some very 

 valuable information along the line of investigations 

 which have been made under his supervision in the 

 way of irrigation by pumping. He is an enthusiast 

 on this subject and has prepared a specially printed 

 pamphlet in which he goes thoroughly into the matter. 

 This pamphlet may be secured by those interested by 

 addressing the General Passenger Agent of the Union 

 Pacific Railroad at Omaha, Neb. Other valuable in- 

 formation was secured from Mr. D. E. Burley and Mr. 

 Spencer, general and assistant passenger agents, 

 respectively, of the Oregon Short Line, whom the 

 Chairman met at Salt Lake City. These gentlemen 

 are enthusiastic promoters of irrigation interests and 

 are ready at all times to furniish to those who may 

 apply to them by letter detailed information concern- 

 ing the development of irrigation in the West. 



"Our report would be incomplete without giving 

 some attention to the splendid work which is being 

 done under the supervision of the Department of Irri- 

 gation Investigations, which is subordinate to, and 

 part of, the Department of Agriculture. This depart- 

 ment is under the direct supervision of Prof. Elwood 

 Mead, chief of investigations.. This branch of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture has supervision of experi- 

 mental stations in all of the States. Work is being 

 accomplished to give farmers a better conception of 

 agriculture and irrigation in their proper sense. 



"Our report contains, in a condensed form, re- 

 markably valuable information for every manufacturer 

 in the United States who contemplates dievelopjing 

 trade in the Arid West and we strongly urge each 

 and all to peruse the contents carefully, so that they 

 may be in better touch with existing conditions and 

 thereby be in position to take advantage of the largely 

 developing trade which is sure to come in their respec- 

 tive lines of goods. 



"Owing to the immense amount of money whi-ch 

 necessarily must "be expended &/ the United States 

 Government under the Reclamation Art, we would 



