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THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



The Primer of Hydraulics is now ready for delivery. It 

 is the first book on hydraulics designed for the use of prac- 

 tical irrigators. 



* * * 



The cost of the Primer of Hydraulics is $2.50, cloth- 

 bound; if ordered with a subscription to IRRIGATION AGE 

 its cost is reduced to $2.00; $3.00 will pay for the Primer of 

 Hydraulics and THE IRRIGATION AGE for one year. 



* * * 



The best man to vote for is the honest man; but see 

 that his convictions and purposes are of the right kind. 



* * * 



When potatoes began to retail at $1.75 per bushel in 

 New York and Chicago, even England was willing to come 

 to our rescue to the tune of 100,000 tons of potatoes. 



* * * 



It is quite likely that there will be an over-production of 

 potatoes this year, on account of the scarcity of them during 

 the past season. 



A NEW WESTERN OFFICE. 



THE IRRIGATION AGE has opened an office at 1643 Champa 

 street. Denver, Colo., which is in charge of Mr. J. B. Adatte. 

 Mr. Adatte will have charge of the western territory and 

 will send us reports on conditions from that section, which 

 will be of much interest to our readers. 



IMPORTANT NOTICE AFFECTING THE MINI- 

 DOKA PROJECT, IDAHO. 



The Secretary of the Interior has issued the following 

 Public Notice in connection with the Minidoka irrigation 

 project, Idaho. 



Under order of March 24, 1911, and to afford an oppor- 

 tunity for the irrigation of the lands above the gravity supply 

 in the Minidoka project, Idaho, on the south side of Snake 

 River, and as preliminary to the regular opening of that 

 portion of the project, water was furnished as applied for 

 on a rental basis for the irrigable lands of the South Side 

 Pumping unit in the irrigation season of 1911. 



In pursuance of the said order of March 24, 1911, it is 

 hereby announced that the rental charges for operation and 

 maintenance for the period from April 1, 1911, to December 

 31, 1911, shall be $1.10 per acre for each acre of irrigable 

 land within the project (whether or not water was used 

 thereon), as shown on the farm unit plats approved March 

 1, 1911, and amendments thereof dated April 18, 1911. These 

 charges will become due April 1, 1912, and no water will 

 hereafter be furnished to any farm unit until payment of 

 the amount due against such unit has been made to the 

 proper agent of the United States Reclamation Service at 

 Burley, Idaho. 



In order to afford further opportunity for the irriga- 

 tion of the lands in the South Side Pumping Unit, water 

 will again be furnished as applied for on a rental basis for 

 these lands during the season of 1912. 



It is hereby announced that a minimum rental charge 

 of $1.25 for operation and maintenance for the year 1912 

 will be made for each acre of irrigable land, as shown on 

 the plats described in paragraph 2, whether or not water 

 is used thereon. 



For that portion of the season beginning June 1st and 

 ending August 31, the maximum amount of water which 

 will be furnished for .the minimum charge named in para- 

 graph 4 is 1.75 acre-feet of water per acre of land actually 

 in cultivation, approximately equal portions of said amount 

 to be delivered during each month of said period at ap- 

 proximately a uniform rate so far as practical and not in 

 excess of the applicant's proportionate share of the avail- 

 able water supply and capacity of works ; provided, how- 

 ever, that a rotation system of delivery may be installed 

 to encourage an economical use of water, and in no case 

 shall more water be delivered than is reasonably required 

 for beneficial use. 



All water used on any farm unit during June, July and 

 August, in excess of 1.75 acre-feet per acre of land actually 

 in cultivation thereon shall be charged for at the rate of 



twenty cents per acre foot, as measured by the engineers 

 of the Reclamation Service. 



All rental charges for operation and maintenance for 

 1912, including both the minimum rate and the acre-foot 

 charge shall be due on December 1, 1912, and payable to the 

 proper agent of the United States Reclamation Service at 

 Burley, Idaho. No water will be furnished to any farm unit 

 in 1912, or subsequent seasons until all charges due against 

 such unit shall have been paid. 



This is a preliminary order made prior to completion 

 of the project to provide for the rental of water during the 

 season of 1912 only, and is not to be construed as the public 

 notice for said project or any part thereof; nor shall the 

 rental charge herein provided for the maintenance and opera- 

 tion of said project for the season of 1912 be considered any 

 part of the cost of construction, or charge for said project, 

 but said cost of construction and charge will be hereafter 

 announced by the Secretary of the Interior in the public 

 notice to be hereafter issued for said project pursuant to 

 the provisions of Section Four (4) of the Reclamation Act 

 of June 17, 1903 (32 Stat. 388). 



A PROSPEROUS IRRIGATION UNIT. 



The crop report for 1911 on the Eieton Unit of the 

 Yakima irrigation project has been received by the Reclama- 

 tion Service. It is an interesting 'statement which illus- 

 trates the rapid progress being made in the reclamation of 

 lands which a short time ago were worthless and unin- 

 habited. 



The Tieton irrigation system constructed by the Gov- 

 ernment is one of the most modern and up-to-date in the 

 world. The water supply comes direct from a beautiful 

 mountain lake situated in a national forest. It is carried 

 for many miles in a concrete lined canal and is delivered 

 through an elaborate system of laterals to each farm. The 

 farm units average only 40 acres, and these comparatively 

 small farms are now being subdivided in tracts of five, ten 

 and twenty acres each. In the near future this project will 

 be as compactly settled as the famous orange districts in 

 Southern California. 



On the lands irrigated in 1911 more than 52 per cent 

 was in orchards, and only 200 acres were in bearing trees. 

 The young orchards embraced 3,561 acres. A total of 7,180 

 acres were actually irrigated during the year, and the crops 

 produced had an estimated value of $206,519 or nearly $29 

 per acre. 



There are 273 farms supplied with water, of which 218 

 contained less than 40 acres each, and 138 of them contained 

 less than 20 acres. The average value per acre of crops 

 on the smaller farms was $47.78, while on the farms of 100 

 to 120 acres the average value of crops was only $33.49. 

 These larger farms are fairly well improved, having been 

 under cultivation and partial irrigation for many years, while 

 the farms of smaller size are for the most part situated on 

 the new portions of the project which received water for 

 the first time in 1911. 



In view of the fact that of the 7,180 acres irrigated 526 

 acres were planted too late to produce or to crops which do 

 not yield the first year, and that 1,959 acres were in young 

 orchards with other crops planted between the rows, the 

 yield was remarkable. 



The yield of individual crops is especially interesting. 

 The estimated average value of orchard crops is $108 per 

 acre; potatoes, $78; melons, $49; garden crops, $100; alfalfa, 

 $20; grain hay, $12; timothy and clover, $19.50; pasture, 

 $25; small grains, $16; forage crops, corn and grain, from 

 $16 to $25.50; and hops, $760. 



More than 200 sales of farm lands under the completed 

 portion of the Tieton Unit were recorded during the year, 

 involving about 2,500 acres of land. Prices ranged from 

 about $50.00 per acre for unimproved land remote from 

 towns or transportation to $1,200 per acre for bearing 

 orchards in the vicinity of North Yakima. The average 

 price (laid for the 2,500 acres was $180 per acre. Without 

 irrigation these lands would be practically worthless. 



YOU WILL NEED THIS BOOK. 



The "Primer of Hydraulics" is the only book teach- 

 ing Hydraulics in a practical way. Price $2.50, cloth 

 bound. THE IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago. 



