338 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



in its full consummation, and the thriving com- 

 munities of the upper Snake River will lack nothing 

 of the luxuries of the day. 



This is only one instance of what J. H. Brady is 

 doing for Idaho. His presence in that State is a matter 

 of "mutual congratulation to- both parties." Mr. 

 Brady predicts a great future for Idaho and it is need- 

 less to say that the State is proud of its prominent 

 citizen. 



THE AMERICAN FALLS CANAL AND POWER COMPANY. 



This company, of which Messrs, Otley and Jones 

 of Blackfoot are the local representatives, is reclaim- 

 ing a vast area of sage plain, extending sixty miles 

 along the west side of the Snake River from Blackfoot 

 to American Falls, and having an average width of 

 six to eight miles. This gently sloping broad stretch 

 of land is here awaiting the water which this company's 

 canal is bringing nearer, drawing its perennial supply 

 from the Snake River about ten miles above Blackfoot. 

 The prospect is a good one for the homleseeker, and 

 there is still plenty of room. The soil is a rich sandy 

 loam, from four to twenty feet in depth. The locality 

 is only about twelve miles northwest of Pocatello, and 

 is penetrated at two points by the Oregon Short Line. 



If, by the way, the Short Line is extended from St. 

 Anthony into Yellowstone Park, as the maneuvers in 

 that region seem to indicate will be done, it will open 

 up another considerable market for this immediate 

 region a market which has heretofore been monopo- 

 lized by Minnesota. The home market has been already 

 mentioned. This valley also lies in the direct path 

 between Utah and Mjontana, both of which States 

 afford good markets for Idaho produce in their mining 

 communities. The grazing interests, one of the most 

 important industries in Idaho, are a never failing 

 source of income to the strictly field farmer. More 

 will be said about the eastern market for Idaho fruit, 

 the finest in the country. 



The system of the American Falls Canal and 

 Power Company is under the Carey Act the company 

 a contractor with the State to furnish the capital and 

 to build the canals, for which outlay and investment 

 its remuneration is fixed by the contract, in the sale 

 of the entire system, when installed, to the settlers in 

 shares one share giving the title to water sufficient to 

 irrigate one acre of land. The price per share is fif- 

 teen dollars, subject to change, however, as to future 

 buyers, as the amount of expenditure becomes more 

 definite as the work proceeds, but only by the action 

 of the State. Payments may be made in installments. 

 Having bargained for this water, the fanner buys the 

 land from the State itself, paying fifty cents per acre, 

 half in cash and the remainder when patent issues. 

 A farm of thirty to fifty acres soon pays for itself, nor 

 is a large amount of cash required to get a start. After 

 that, with thrift and good management, failure is im- 

 possible. A crop can be raised the first year. On the 

 other side of the river and for miles up and down 

 the valley, the fields are yielding their three crops of 

 alfalfa, with six to eight tons to the acre, spring and 

 fall wheat, thirty bushels to the acre, barley, rye, oats, 

 are extensively grown. Cantaloupes, sugar beets and 

 all kinds of vegetables flourish. Cabbages and onions 

 are especially good, and the potatoes are considered 

 even superior to the famous Greely tubers. A good 

 and reliable income is derived from these products 

 from the start, and in the meantime the thrifty farmer 

 is carefully training a fine orchard, which in the course 



of four or five years will begin to bring him wealth and 

 luxury. Idaho is a successful rival to California in 

 her fruit products, with a large traffic to Chicago, 

 New York and other eastern cities. She received the 

 World's Fair award for apples in 1892, to say noth- 

 ing of a long list of other prizes, including the $500 

 sweep-stake cup offered by U. S. Senator Wm. A. 

 Clark at the Irrigation Congress at Ogden last 

 year, for "the greatest variety of perfect fruit, free 

 from insect pests and fungus diseases." 



About sixty miles northwest of this tract of land 

 just described, the Lost Rivers, which have already been 

 mentioned, have their place of disappearance. What- 

 ever may be their course below the surface, it is a fact 

 that wells sunk anywhere upon this section never fail 

 to tap pure, cold water at from 15 to 60 feet in 

 depth, and in several places the water gushes forth in 

 flowing springs. 



IDAHO CANAL A IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, LTD. 



While this kind is now lying open for settlement, 

 just beyond and extending on up the valley, are to 

 be seen hundreds of well cultivated, prosperous farms, 

 and well settled districts. Much of this land lies under 

 the lateral ditches of the Idaho Canal & Improve- 

 mlent Company, a private enterprise launched by J. 

 H. Brady, and of late years attained to a fullness of 

 usefulness. Some two or three hundred irrigators take 

 from this canal at the company's present rates, while 

 a year ago a great portion of its system was purchased 

 from the company by the water users contributing to 

 it then, and now the cooperative owners the usual 

 disposition made of a private irrigation company in 

 Idaho as soon as it is able to pay for itself. 



This company has a tremtendous mileage of main 

 canals and laterals in Fremont, Bingham and Bannock 

 counties. It has three head-gates on the Snake River. 

 No. 1 is located on the South Fork of the Snake in 

 Fremont County, where that river leaves the moun- 

 tains and enters the valley. This company also owns 

 an interest in the Great Feeder Canal, into which 

 the water is diverted through a solid masonry head- 

 gate, with a system of diverting gates, each ten feet 

 wide, permitting a flow of water to enter the Feeder 

 Canal one hundred feet wide and five feet deep. 

 About four miles below this point the Idaho company 

 diverts 30,000 miners' inches of water through its own 

 private headgate. Its gate No. 2 is one of the largest 

 in the valley, taking its supply from the main river 

 about fifteen miles below the junction of the North 

 and South Forks; 50,000 miners' inches of water 

 can be diverted at this point. At the Reservation gate, 

 No. 3, water is diverted capable of watering a large 

 area between Basalt and the Blackfoot River besides 

 furnishing sufficient water for the use of the Indians 

 on the Fort Hall Reservation and to the fertile lands 

 north of Pocatello. 



On the 6th day of September, the remainder of 

 the Fort Hall Reservation will be thrown open for 

 settlement, containing about fifteen square miles of 

 irrigable land. This company will extend its canal a 

 distance of twelve miles from the north, to water this 

 region, having commenced surveys for this purpose. 

 A further extension will be made to Pocatello. The 

 main channel, now carrying 15,000 inches, will be 

 enlarged from its head on the Blackfoot, and will be 

 capable of delivering altogether 40,000 inches of water 

 to the territory above described. 



