114 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



UTAH IS A LAND OF FRUITS. 



The quality of all vegetables is fine. Common 

 beets grow to immense sizes. Sugar beets are success- 

 fully cultivated in certain parts of the State. Celery 

 grows to perfection in the central counties. 



Apples and pears are prolific. Peaches do well. 

 Gooseberries are said to have yielded 1,000 bushels per 

 acre, and 800 is a common record, worth at times $1.00 

 a bushel- $1,000 an acre say $500 for common run ! 

 Currants turn out 300 cases or over, worth $200 or 

 more ; raspberries 400 to 600 cases, worth on an average 

 $300 an acre; strawberries from 800 to 1,000 cases, 

 worth $700 to $900 an acre. Grapes go about four tons 

 per acre, but spring frosts catch them about one year 

 in three in the central counties. 



Plums (blue, red and yellow), apricots, quinces, 

 do well. Cabbage, squashes and almost every garden 

 stuff that succeeds in the upper Mississippi valley, 

 thrives here. And there are two great advantages "Utah 

 farms have over those in that valley here rain is made 

 to order, so to speak, by turning water on the farms 

 when needed; and almost no pests to destroy crops. 

 Once planted, farmers can almost feel sure they will 

 bank the money from their harvests. Large production 

 and irrigation unite to make little farms desirable in 

 Utah, for the net results from -careful cultivation will 

 average as much from forty acres as from 160 in Iowa 

 and Illinois. 



And the markets are good. Most of the farm sur- 

 plus is in constant demand in the neighboring mining 

 towns and stock ranches, where large quantities are con- 

 sumed, at good prices. 



Salt Lake City, the State capital, has a population 

 of about 60,000, and Ogden of about 17,000. There are 

 a number of other good towns in the State. Utah now 

 has over 300,000 inhabitants, is constantly growing in 

 wealth and people and will be one of the great States 

 of the Union. 



It is exceedingly rich in minerals, including very 

 fine iron deposits. Great Salt Lake is literally a dead 

 sea, having no outlet. Its waters include over 20 per 

 cent of salt, and this is one of the show places of the 

 nation. Tens of thousands of tourists visit its bathing 

 resorts each season. The human body will not sink in 

 it, owing to the weight of salt it contains. 



RECLAMATION SERVICE NOTES. 



Send $2.50 for the 

 Irrigation Age one 

 year and the Primer 

 of Irrigation. 



Uncompahgre Difficulties. 



A message from Montrose, Colo., states that the flow 

 of water in the west end of Gunnison tunnel, Uncompahgre 

 irrigation project, is decreasing very slowly. Blowers were 

 received and the work of forcing out the carbonic acid gas 

 was recently begun. As soon as this work becomes effective 

 the engineers will be able to take steps to control the flow 

 so that the work of excavating the tunnel may proceed. 



It is not thought probable that any considerable delay 

 will be occasioned by reason of the unexpected occurrence of 

 water in the tunnel. 



Must Be Capable. 



The early completion of a number of the great irrigation 

 projects of the Reclamation Service will necessitate the em- 

 ployment of several men of especial qualifications as super- 

 intendents. The duties of the positions will be numerous and 

 onerous and only men of broad experience and wide knowl- 

 edge of irrigation structures and methods of farming and 

 applying water will be considered. 



The requirements are so exceedingly varied that one of 

 the Government engineers stated that the man who could fill the 

 bill acceptably must combine the qualities of Napoleon, Rich- 

 elieu, Erickson and Jeffries. He must be a practical as well 

 as a scientific farmer. He must understand irrigation and the 

 quantity of water the various crops require. He must possess 

 executive ability of a high order, must be a diplomat to 

 keep the farmers satisfied even when they are not, must under- 

 stand engineering, and must be able to enforce personally 

 the regulations necessary to keep the system going. 



Huntley Project Handled by Government. 



The Secretary of the Interior has ordered the suspension 

 of the contract with Piper Brothers Company, of Pueblo, 

 Colo., for five schedules of the distributing system, Huntley 

 irrigation project, Montana, and authorized the continuance 

 of the work by the Reclamation Service. 



The company abandoned their contract on November 

 16th and turned it over to the United States. As the con- 

 tinuance of the work was urgent, the Government engineers 

 promptly took possession of the equipment and the work was 

 continued without the loss of an hour's time. 



Pueblo Firm Wins. 



In response to informal advertising three proposals have 

 been received by the engineer in charge of the Bell Fourche 

 irrigation project, South Dakota, for making the portal cuts 

 of the tunnel to be constructed in Section 3 of the south 

 canal, three bids were received, that of Orman & Crook, of 

 Pueblo, Colo., at $20,825 being the lowest. 



The Secretary of the Interior has authorized a contract 

 to be entered into with this company according to the terms 

 and conditions of their bid. The work involves about 45,000 

 cubic yards of excavation, and is located about seventeen miles 

 east of Belle Fourche. It is to be complete by April 13, 1907. 



Work on the Corbett tunnel, which is an important unit 

 of the Shoshone project in Wyoming progressed satisfac- 

 torily during the month of December, being only slightly de- 

 layed by reason of cold weather which interfered with the 

 laying of concrete. 



The Government is doing this work by force account 

 and in December excavated 791 linear feet of tunnel, drove 

 801 linear feet of heading and concrete lined 305 feet of arch 

 and arch and side walls. 



On January 1 the Corbett tunnel had been driven 9,323 

 feet, of which 3,502 feet are lined. 



On the great Shoshone dam, which is to be the highest 

 in the world, the contractor has not made satisfactory head- 

 way. His work during the past month consisted of driving 

 a road tunnel and excavating for temporary flume and spill- 

 way. 



The engineers report a great improvement in labor con- 

 ditions. 



