5 



development we have, however, to face these facie; the locations where 

 ditches can be built cheaply in this State have practically all been utilized; 

 a large part of the land under those ditches is now unused; a considerable 

 portion of this unused land is valuable as farming laud, but because of a 

 prejudice against farmers, because of a disbelief in the success of farming in 

 this State, the owners of this land are reluctant to dispose of it to actual 

 cultivators. This is unfortunate in two particulars. The land as now 

 held is unprofitable to its owners. Its ownership by individuals has with- 

 drawn it from settlement and occupancy by those who might use it to a 

 better advantage. I am in hopes, however, that we are to soon see a marked 

 improvement in this direction and I look for much good to result from the 

 occupancy of the land at Wheatland by small farmers. 



AGRICULTURAL POSSIBILITIES OF THE STATE. 



But when all the farming laud now under ditches has been brought 

 under cultivation we will only have fairly begun our agricultural develop- 

 ment. More water runs to waste in the North Platte river each year than 

 is carried in all the ditches in the State. More water runs to waste in the 

 Green river than is used lu irrigation. More water runs to waste in the 

 Big Horn than in the Platte and Green combined. The lauds which thes 

 streams would water are among the best in the State; the conditions of 

 farm life superior to that now prevailing, except in a few favored localities. 

 The ditches to be built must be large, the tracts of land to be reclaimed 

 extensive. Business and social institutions which require the cooperation 

 of a large number of people could be established; the most objectionable 

 feature of ranch life, its isolation, overcome. 



To make these lands available, the canals to water them must first be 

 built. Settlers can not occupy the lands until th y can be irrigated. They 

 can not buiid the ditches because the expeutiture of both time and money 

 which this involves is beyond their means. Surveys and estimates for 

 canals from tho xort'i Platte fixes the cost of one at $110,000, another at 

 $250,000, another at $2,000,000. The canal to water the plateau lands on 

 Green river will cost nearly two millions. It will require an outlay of a 

 million dollars to water the lands north of the Stinkingwuter and half as 

 much to reclaim the lands along tha Big Horn. We have reached a point 

 where there is little irrigable public land for settlers outside the valleys of 

 these streams. We can not invite immigration here until in some way the 

 money required to build canals is provided. 



Since our admission to statehood a continuous effort has been made to 

 enlist capital in tMs work. The obstacle which has, in every case, proved 

 insurmountable is the unsatisfactory nature of our land laws. The objec- 

 tionable features of these laws can be explained by giving the experience 

 of one of the companies which endeavored to secure aid in the East. 



Between Douglas and Fort Fetterman is a tract of 13,000 acres of 

 superior land. Some spirited public citizens of Douglas thinking to put 

 an end to their annual contribution of $60,000 to Nebraska, subscribed the 

 money necessary to secure nn estimate of the cost of a canal to water this 

 land. The estimate was $110,000, or about $10 an acre. So far as natural 

 conditions go, with the exception of expense, no more favorable location 

 for a ditch project could be found. The laud is fertile, the water supply 



