404 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION September 



blighting effects of drouth, and the better has been enacted by the con- 

 intelligent husbandman is certain of gress of the United States in recent 

 a bountiful yield as the fruit of his years. 



industry. The desert is fast disap- "It provides substantially that the 

 pearing before the magic touch of money arising from the sale of pub- 

 American genius, thrift and pluck, lie lands shall be set apart in a spe- 

 What, a few years ago seemed to be cial fund, to be used exclusively for 

 impossible, is now being accom- irrigation purposes. The money so 

 plished. It has been demonstrated derived is to be expended in the es- 

 that there is no investment which tablishment and construction of ir- 

 has yielded better or surer results rigation works and is to become a 

 than money spent in the construe- charge upon the land benefited, and 

 tion of feasible irrigation works. It is to be repaid to the government by 

 is estimated that some ten millions the land owner in not more than 10 

 of acres are now irrigated through annual payments. It is returned to 

 individual and corporate effort and the reclamation fund and is to be 

 that the value of our agricultural again used in the inauguration and 

 products has been thereby increased development of new irrigation pro- 

 in the sum of more than an hundred jects. In short, the fund becomes- 

 and fifty millions of dollars per an- an endless chain extending its bless- 

 num. It is also estimated that this ings to future years. Not a dollar 

 annual increase is in excess of the comes out of the pockets of the tax- 

 total cost of irrigation works through payers of the country to promote 

 which it is made possible. this great work. It is estimated that 



"When we consider, in addition to the amount to the credit of the recla- 



the large money value of the in- mation service at the close of the 



creased annual yield through irriga- fiscal year, 1908 will be $41,441,- 



tion, the many incidental benefits re- 572.95. 



suiting from, the magnitude and im- "Irrigation by the national gov- 

 portance of the subject of national ernment has been undertaken so re- 

 irrigation can be more fully appre- cently that its beneficent results have 

 ciated. not )^et been felt. The Secretary of 



"The government has not entered the Interior has authorized the con- 



upon the subject of irrigation hastily struction of many projects in the 



and without the utmost considera- states of California, Idaho, Colorado, 



tion. The matter has been thor- Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Neva- 



oughly debated and considered in its da, North Dakota, Oregon, South 



physical and economic aspects. When Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wy- 



it was first suggested it was regard- oming and in the territories of Ari- 



ed by those who had given it only a zona, New Mexico and Oklahoma, 



superficial consideration, as imprac- "The first allotment for such con- 



ticable and as involving a tremen- struction is about $41,441,572.95, and 



dous and unnecessary drain upon the when this expenditure is made, it 



national treasury. The fact was that will bring under irrigation nearly 1,- 



individual and corporate enterprises 200,000 acres. It will be observed 



had carried the work forward as far that the cost of the work now au- 



as it could reasonably do so. The thorized is equivalent to the esti- 



larger and more difficult proposi- mated amount of the reclamation 



tions awaited the action of the na- fund in 1908. This will not, how- 



tional government. ever, complete the work. It will re- 



"The existing irrigation law was quire some sixty millions of dollars, 



put upon the statute books in 1902. in addition, to finish the projects 



The law is founded upon an entirely now undertaken, and when they are 



rational and defensible theory. It is completed, the total amount of land 



entirely just and equitable. None irrigated will be 3,200,000 acres. 



