THE WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE 

 IRRIGATED DISTRICTS 



By G. E. BROWNE 



AT THE present time, when the 

 tendency for people to con- 

 gregate in the cities is so great, 

 and when these congeste 1 conditions 

 result in such a loss to health and hap- 

 piness and morals to so many, it seems 

 a pity that the wonderful resources of 

 the irrigated sections of our Great 

 "West can not be brought more closely 

 to the attention of the public generally. 

 There is room now for hundreds of 

 thousands of our people in the irrigat- 

 ed districts already developed, and 

 other great projects nearing comple- 

 tion. With the development of irriga- 

 tion during the past few years, and at 

 the cost of millions of dollars, agricul- 

 tural, horticultural and intensified 

 farming have advanced most wonder- 

 fully. 



This is an age of specializing, and, 

 thanks to our Federal Government, 

 which through the Reclamation Serv- 

 ice, the Forest Service, and the Bu- 

 reau of Soils and Plant Industry, has 

 brought these subjects down to a 

 science, thousands of acre.3 of arid and 

 worthless lands are now occupied by 

 the most prosperous and contented 

 people on the continent. No other pub- 

 lic appropriations our Government has 

 made have resulted in so much good 

 to so many. 



In this age, when the young man 

 asks, "What business am I to follows?" 

 what better advice can be given bin* 

 than to follow scientific agriculture 

 and horticulture? He can make no 

 mistake by taking up a tract of irri- 

 gated land, which has been proved to 

 be adapted to fruit culture. It is an 

 ideal life not isolated, as on the prai- 

 ries, farms and ranches, and our edu- 

 cated people are developing and mak- 



ing their homes in these new districts, 

 and the social features of this life are 

 more congenial than in the large cities. 

 Many of the leading educators and 

 business men of the country are buy- 

 ing and developing irrigated lands in 

 the better fruit sections. There are 

 excellent school facilities and it is a 

 healthy life, and a life of independ- 

 ence. 



Fruit raising on irrigated land ap- 

 peals to nearly every one. It is not 

 drudging in the hot sun and dry and 

 dusty soil for small and not sure yields 

 of crops, but concentrated work con- 

 fined to a small area. No one should 

 be misled, however, and think a living 

 can be obtained with little or no work. 

 It requires the best attention and at 

 the right time ; but he who gives hon- 

 est and intelligent attention to his work 

 will be amply repaid in results. Most 

 irrigation companies prefer young 

 men, even though they have had no 

 experience in country life and fruit 

 culture. They generally learn the 

 modern methods more correctly and in 

 less time than the older farmers from 

 the East, who are liable to be set in 

 their methods. It is the intelligent 

 and industrious class of people who 

 have made the best districts so famous. 



At the present time there are many 

 irrigating companies putting land on 

 the market, both in large and small 

 tracts, some demanding high prices for 

 the land and others much lower. The 

 Government is also expending millions 

 of dollars in new undertakings. 



Irrigated lands are divided into two 

 classes, one, which we may designate 

 as fruit land, which, in the raw state, 

 always brings a high price, and the 

 other forage and crop land, which 



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