404 



THE IEEIGATION AGE. 



more that can be reclaimed with the available water supply 

 Immense as is the mineral production of Colorado, the out- 

 put of its mines is equaled in value by the agricultural 

 product of the state. 



It is estimated that about 13,000,000 acres were Irri- 

 gated last year in the states west of the Mississippi and that 

 there is water which can be utiliied sufficient to reclaim over 

 three times as many acres more. Fully 10,000,000 acres of the 

 total area now watered are under privately owned projects 

 or ditches. For the most part, these have been constructed 

 In such a manner that a great economic waste has been in- 

 volved both in the cost of building and in the application of 

 the water. In this latter particular, a large saving can be 

 effected by the adoption of more scientific and intelligent 

 methods, which would permit of largely extending the area 

 watered. 



Under irrigation, the tendency is to restrict the size of 

 the farm unit. Experience teaches that in most irrigated 

 sections it is Impracticable to cultivate large single hold- 

 ings. As a consequence, the average farm under ditch will 

 be much smaller than in the humid regions. Thus provision 

 will be made for a greatly Increased farming population, with 

 a corresponding increase in the production of farm products 

 thereby adding immensely to the country's wealth. Since 

 irrigation is an insurance against crop failure, the farming 

 industry will be greatly relieved from the element of chance 

 and become far more stable, which, in Itself, will represent 

 a great economic gain. 



In 1908, 260,000 acres of land were irrigated in this 

 state. At present there are projects under construction which, 

 when completed, will cover 390,000 acres additional, 327,000 

 acres of which are under government projects. Owing to the 

 character of the soil in the semi-arid regions of this state, 

 which Is a volcanic ash and disintegrated basalt, and the 

 long growing seasons, irrigated lands in this state produce 

 abundant and highly excellent crops. Practically all of this 

 land is particularly adapted to the growing of the hardier 

 fruits; apples attain a peculiar perfection. This, with our 

 excellent transportation facilities which give ready access 

 to the markets of the country, enable the horticulturist to 

 secure annual profits from irrigated lands. 



In this respect, Washington is excelled by no other state, 

 and irrigated lands bring values equal to the best prices 

 paid even in California. Depending upon the location rela- 

 tive to transportation and the particular crop grown, these 

 lands bring, when improved, from $100 to $2,000 an acre. 

 These are not speculative prices, but, on the contrary, are 

 based upon the actual returns derived from the land. 



The amount of land that can be irrigated in this state is 

 limited only by the available water supply, and in time 

 many thousands of acres of this rich land will be reclaimed. 

 Owing to the exceptionally high productive capacity of the 

 land under intensive farming, the farm unit will always re- 

 main small. Five acres are sufficient to produce an excellent 

 competence for a single family, and in the older irrigated 

 districts, devoted to fruit raising, a large part of the farms 

 contain but five acres. This gives a comparatively dense 

 agricultural population, and adds greatly to the attractive- 

 ness of the industry in these communites, a condition not 

 obtainable in regions where a larger farm unit is required 

 for the sustenance of a family. It makes more practicable 

 the building of good roads, tends to add to the construction 

 of interurban electric lines and the extension of the rural 

 post and the telephone, thus giving the farmer all of the ad- 

 vantages of urban life with the healthful conditions of farm 

 life. Tlfese irrigated communities are assured of uniform 

 prosperity since the element of chance in the growing of 

 crops is eliminated. 



Owing to the peculiar topography of this state, it has 

 a great diversity of climatic and soil conditions. In the 

 eastern and southeastern portions the high plateaus, con- 

 taining a deep, rich soil, peculiarly adapted to the growing 

 of cereals, wheat, oats and barley, are the chief products, 

 and millions of bushels are produced annually. 



A problem peculiar to the western portion of the state 

 is the reclamation of the arable portions of our logged-off 

 lands. At the present time, there are large areas of fertile 

 acres encumbered with the stumps of giant trees, areas which 

 have been aptly called "The Loggers' Stubble Field." This 

 land in its present state, while capable of producing rich 

 crops, lies waste and unproductive because the expense of 

 clearing and preparing for the plow is beyond the means 

 of the ordinary home builder. The most economical methods 

 of clearing this land now known are too costly to be generally 

 used, even though the land when prepared for cultivation 

 yields large returns on the investment. 



Some progress in reclaiming these cut-over lands is being 

 made through cooperative efforts on the part of private in- 

 dividuals, similar to the organizations which first undertook 

 the larger irrigation projects in this country. I am convinced 

 that, if these areas are to be generally reclaimed, aid must 

 be received from the state, rendered, possibly, along the lines 

 devised by the federal government in the reclamation of its 

 arid lands. This is a problem with which this congress 

 might well deal and bend Its energies toword working out a 

 practicable solution. 



At the last regular session of our state legislature, $8,000 

 was appropriated to be added to a like sum appropriated by 

 the federal conservation for the use by the bureau of plant 

 Industry of the department of agriculture In the United States 

 In furthering the investigation of and experimentation with 

 the various methods of clearing logged-off lands. This is the 

 first practical step taken by this state in the consideration of 

 this problem. 



After discussing the policy of conservation as ap- 

 plied to the great natural resources of his state, the 

 speaker closed with an expression of hope for further 



growth of irrigation congress which, he declared, is most 

 potent in the development of the west. 



Mayor Pratt, of Spokane, spoke briefly in welcoming 

 delegates to the city and urged the congress to seek 

 remedy for existing evils in land laws by greater interest 

 in the election of legislators. 



In accepting the hospitality of Spokane, President 

 Barstow congratulated the city upon the spirit with 

 which had prepared for the convention and assured its 

 complete success. After reviewing the past work of the 

 congress in preservation of forests and advancing the 

 interest of irrigation, he said, in part: 



The great cities are the maelstrom of our nation! There 

 citizens, at large, would soon become effeminate and de- 

 cayed save as they can draw upon our country and simple 

 life. We are wisely seeking to protect our natural rivers 

 by safe-guarding their sources of supply. How about that 

 river of human beings who have been created, "a little lower 

 than the angels"? Are we averse to making wholesome pro- 

 visions for its headwaters? There are many evil forces ever 

 at work to drag our nation downward, and these obtain their 

 temporary reward in diverse ways. 



The great and sublime purpose of the National Irri- 

 gation Congress is to marshal together those forces which 

 will only seek for the betterment and continuity of our 

 nation, and to overthrow those elements in society, which. 



"Having greed of life 

 "Forget to live." 



There is too much an unwarranted prejudice by the ma- 

 jority of Americans anent many of the nationalities coming 

 to our shores. There are, no doubt, some of the people of 

 each nationality that are undesirable. But, is this not also 

 true of some of our own people? We are not to judge an 

 entire nation by the overt acts of a few of its members any 

 more than we would have the people of any other country 

 judge us by the Ill-advised or criminal conduct of a few of 

 our citizens. Time has shown to the careful observer con- 

 clusively, that, whether Huns or Slavs or Italians or Chinese 

 or Japanese, they make good citizens and are most productive 

 in their efforts when located upon land. 



Too little attention has been given by the great con- 

 stituency engaged in our irrigation enterprises of the need 

 of drainage for irrigated lands. The practice of this prin- 

 ciple is of great antiquity. No irrigation plant has reached 

 its highest efficiency until a system of well-planned drainage 

 ditches has been installed within its sphere. I believe this 

 matter to be worthy of the serious attention of this con- 

 gress; and some time could be not better occupied than in a 

 full discussion concerning the drainage of Irrigated lands. 



One of the most hopeful and cheering signs of the times 

 in accomplishing the work of reclaiming the remainder (or 

 over forty million acres) arid lands in our nation, is, that 

 many of our able and leading financiers and bankers, some 

 of whom come from as far east as Boston, are now real- 

 izing the inherent value of irrigation bonds. Such bonds 

 based upon lands and values that are developed to the high- 

 est point under irrigation, if properly safe-guarded In the 

 legal aspect of the case, and with wholesome commercial 

 conduct, will certainly address themselves favorably to crit- 

 ical financiers. 



I desire to impress upon the mind of this congress the 

 great importance of taking prompt steps to give the Federal 

 government to understand that the voice of the people of 

 our entire nation demands that the reclamation fund shall 

 be forthwith supplemented by the creation and sale from 

 time to time of gold bonds in the total sum of five hundred 

 million dollars ($500,000,000) in order that much more rapid 

 work may proceed in reclaiming the nation's arid lands. This 

 same principle finds its application as to reclaiming our 

 swamp lands and fmprovement of our natural river-ways. 

 This is no time "to halt and disband. But rather to arouse 

 the people of our country to overthrow any and all those men 

 who .may seek to emasculate the work so wonderfully and 

 auspiciously begun. 



The great west and southwest needs some of the money 

 of the east with which to push forward with rapid strides 

 the stupendous and far reaching work of irrigation which i 

 this congress primarily advocates. The irrigation states are 

 operating under both national and state laws, which have 

 stood the test of time. When once all these arid lands shall 

 be under cultivation by irrigation, we shall have given op- 

 portunity for about twenty-five million additional population 

 with an annual Increase of agricultural products amounting 

 to six billion and five hundred million dollars. 



As is the case in all industrial and commercial enter- 

 prises, there are to be found in the promotion of Irrigation 

 projects some that are unworthy. These cases should be 

 constantly looked after and brought to book by our intelli- 

 gent and justice loving people, and the strong arm of the 

 government should be exercised to bring every operation of 

 such a character to a just retribution. Along this and other 

 valuable lines the Fourteenth National Irrigation Congress In 

 session at Boise. Idaho, in 1906, appointed a publicity com- 

 mittee of five, Professor Samuel Fortier being the chairman 

 thereof. This committee has already performed much valu- 

 able service, and I regard its continuance as most important 

 looking toward broadening the Intelligence of all the people, 

 and especially those who are contemplating locating on irri- 

 gated lands. 



We are gathered here for the discussion of those ques- 

 tions and to take action upon those plans that are not only 

 of national, but of world-wide importance. Their poten- 

 tiality is such as effects the very vitals of our nation. Their 



