THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



367 



west do not produce more grapes and utilize them 

 properly. 



Mr. Angermayer says also that from long study 

 he has come to the conclusion that California, now 

 producing the best qualities of foreign grapes, can- 

 not raise such high grade qualities as may be pro- 

 duced in many localities in Washington, Oregon, 

 Idaho and some sections of Montana. 



The gentleman fails in one particular, viz., that 

 of giving specific information as to the particular 

 locations in each State ; nor does he give other in- 

 formation as to the varieties to be planted, the cost 

 of settings or the ultimate value of the crop on each 

 acre. Should Mr. Angermayer furnish this infor- 

 mation he would enable the ranchmen and fruit 

 growers to make a comparison between their pres- 

 ent products, their value, and the final profit com- 

 parison, which would be of great assistance to those 

 inclined to follow his suggesions. 



Our readers who are interested should corre- 

 spond with Mr. Angermayer. 



It is estimated that fully 15,000 car- 

 Large loads of farm and orchard products 

 Shipments will be moved out of the Twin Falls 

 From country this fall. Apples and pota- 

 Twin Falls toes will constitute a large part of 



these shipments, while grain and 

 livestock will also be prominent. 



Digging of the potato crop has already been 

 started and reports from various parts of the dis- 

 trict show that it is very large and the tubers of 

 excellent quality. Choice hand-sorted specimens 

 are selling at wholesale at 70 cents a bushel, pro- 

 vided they are of the distinct Twin Falls size, this 

 kind being in active demand for dining car and hotel 

 use. When a man can raise 400 bushels of 70-cent 

 potatoes to the acre which is not uncommon it 

 is one of the best-paying crops the farmer can grow. 



Agitation for the construction of a 

 New Bridge new bridge over the Snake river at 

 Across the Hansen, Idaho, to connect the First 

 Snake River Segregation with Twin Falls, has 

 at Hansen been started by T. G. Wilson, of 



Eden. If this amounts to anything 

 it means the bringing of the settlers on 30,000 acres 

 directly into connection with Twin Falls and its 

 railway outlet to market. 



At present the only way of reaching Twin Falls 

 from the First Segregation is by driving through 

 miles of sand to Shoshone Falls and then ferrying 

 across the river. A bridge near Hansen would cut 

 the haul down to ten miles, give decent roads, and 

 be to the benefit of both the people of Twin Falls 

 and those who live on the Segregation. 



A loud and vigorous howl is heard 

 North from the Platte River Valley lying 



Platte below what is known as the Path- 



Settlers finder Dam. In former years the 



Complain ranchmen along this valley were en- 



abled to divert sufficient water for 

 ordinary agricultural conditions and were fre- 

 quently supplied through storm waters and storage 

 with all of the moisture the land needed for a 

 normal crop. Since the Government has built the 

 great Pathfinder Dam the people living along the 

 lower reaches of that stream for a distance of one 

 or two hundred miles are unable to secure any 

 water without pumping from the subterranean 

 flow. One thousand farmers in the territory men- 

 tioned have taken the matter into court and will 

 file claims against the Federal Government on ac- 

 count of these conditions. They claim that the 

 Government has taken so much of the water out of 

 the upper reaches of the North Platte that none is 

 left for their use, and they get no assurance from 

 Reclamation Officials that water may be secured in 

 future years ; these ranchmen therefore face this sit- 

 uation, they have purchased land from Govern- 

 ment when water was assured, the Government has 

 in turn gone farther up the stream and put in a 

 dam which is taking all of the water formerly se- 

 cured by them and is giving it to others 

 who are settling on tracts far above. The ques- 

 tion of prior rights does not seem to prevail in 

 this instance and it is apparently another illustra- 

 tion of the carelessness of the Reclamation Officials 

 for the welfare of the old-time settler. Hundreds 

 of thousands of acres of land are involved in this 

 suit, as the rainfall is not sufficient to mature crops 

 in any season, and these farmers will file a claim 

 against the Government for the value of the crops 

 for not only last year, but each succeeding year. It 

 is their intention also to appeal direct to Congress 

 and to call attention to the fact that all this land was 

 subject to cultivation before the Pathfinder Dam 

 was erected. The peculiar situation is that in sink- 

 ing the foundation of the Pathfinder Dam the vol- 

 ume of the underflow is apparently diminished. 



Congress will be asked that the Government 

 either release this subterranean stream or reim- 

 burse the farmers who have been dependent wholly 

 upon that method of irrigation. Certain Western 

 journals state that the old question of riparian 

 rights is involved in the matter and that this is a 

 serious subject to bring up in connection with a 

 suit of this character. 



The fact remains, however, that the Govern- 

 ment has deprived thrifty ranchmen along the lower 

 reaches of the North Platte River of water that it 

 would appear rightfully belongs to them. Just why 



