THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



217 



every community. A total oi; more than 20,000 acres 

 has been planted to fruit, principally apples. These 

 orchards are fast coming into bearing and large ware- 

 houses are being erected in various towns for handling 

 the crops. 



It is now nine years since the beginning of irriga- 

 tion in the Twin Falls region. Land that originally 

 cost $25 to $40 an acre, with water right, has advanced 

 in value to an average of $100 an acre. Two hundred 

 dollars an acre is predicted for all the farms under the 

 several irrigation systems. Twenty acres situated one 

 mile north of Twin Falls, with ordinary improvements 

 sold for $600 an acre in March last. Young orchards 

 are selling at $600 an acre. Land in alfalfa or clover 

 sells at- $150 to $160 an acre. Unimproved land may 

 be had as low as $50 an acre including the water 

 right. At this price one must expect more or less 

 waste land. 



Three thousand acres 14 miles southwest of Twin 

 Falls have been sold in the last few months to Ne- 

 braska people. Fifteen families, numbering over 70 

 people, arrived the second week in March to begin life 

 under the new conditions of an irrigated country. A 

 new settlement seven miles from Filer has been started 

 under the name of Clover. It has a townsite of 40 

 acres. All the farms begin production with clover as 

 the first crop. The 3,000 acres constitute a strip about 

 a mile wide and seven miles long above the high-line 

 canal of the Twin Falls south side project. A pump- 

 ing station lifts the water from the high-line canal 

 40 feet to a new canal which serves the entire strip. 

 This project was financed by Messrs. Smith & Green 

 of Morrison, 111., and the lands were sold by Harley 

 J. Hooker of St. Louis. Mr. Hookers' sales have 

 amounted to upwards of $500,000 in the few months 

 he has been at work on this enterprise. 



Every day from one to a dozen emigrant cars are 

 going into the Twin Falls country, carrying the house- 

 hold goods, live stock and farm equipment of families 

 attracted by the favorable conditions to be found in 

 this part of southern Idaho. In one day the latter 

 part of March, some 35 families from Oklahoma 

 arrived unannounced, unloaded their goods and put 

 up their tents, preparatory to living under canvas until 

 they could look about and establish themselves on 

 farms. 



It is characteristic of the settlers in the Twin 

 Falls region that they are no sooner established than 

 they begin writing to friends urging them to join them 

 while the land is yet purchasable at reasonable figures. 

 There has never been a boom in Twin Falls land. The 

 area was so large in the beginning that there was 

 enough for all comers. There still is enough and while 

 the supply lasts there can be no artificial boosting of 

 prices. 



The city of Twin Falls celebrates its 10th anni- 

 versary with a population of upwards of 8,000. You 

 feel that you are in a city of 25,000 or 30,000, so well 

 built, well paved and well lighted is the business dis- 

 trict. Kimberly, Hansen, Niles, Bihl, Hollister, Jer- 

 ome and Wendell are other attractive places, all grow- 

 ing and all doing a thriving business. 



One needs only to stand beside the tracks of the 

 trans-continental railroads and note the cars of emi- 

 grant goods to realize that there is still a westward 

 movement of population. It may slow down, but it 

 never stops. The spring of 1915 saw it revived to 

 its full intensity. Homesteaders are still taking up 

 government land at the rate of a million acres a month. 

 The picking is not as good as it used to be but 

 the American pioneer has a stout heart and the desert 

 as now understood does not appall him. 



SHOOTING CEMENT LININGS 



Continued from page 215) 



The working capacity of the Cement-Gun depends 

 upon many different factors. The experience of the 

 crew, the kind of work to be done, and the method 

 and thickness of the coating must be taken into con- 

 sideration. The distance of delivery and the height of 

 elevation, however, are of minor importance. As 

 stated before, the capacity of the Cement-Gun is up 

 to 3 cubic yards per hour, but if a thin coating is 

 applied it is, of course, impossible to utilize more than 

 a fraction of the gun's capacity under actual working 

 conditions. 



The crew for the operation of a Cement-Gun 

 usually consists of one foreman and six to seven men 

 and best results can, of course, only be obtained when 

 the operators are experienced. The foreman must be 

 a good cement worker and a general all-around 

 mechanic. He must be able to make such small forms, 

 scaffolds, working platforms, etc., as may be required 

 and must have an intimate knowledge of the operation 

 of his gun, compressor motor, etc., so that break- 

 downs and delays are avoided. There also should be 

 an experienced gun operator and at least two able noz- 

 zle men fin each job. The success of the work greatly 

 depends upon the skill of the nozzle man to apply an 

 even and uniform coating with proper hydration. Gun- 

 tender, mixers, wheelers, etc., may be ordinary labor- 

 ers ; however, intelligent men should be selected for 

 all work. 



3 VARITIES OF IRRIGATION 



A unique irrigation proposition of some magni- 

 tude .is being inaugurated in the Fremont Valley, 

 Cal., by the Fremont Valley Land and Water Com- 

 pany. 



This beautiful valley of southern California lying 

 only 75 miles from Los Angeles, and consisting of 

 about 50,000 acres has so been favored by nature that 

 a large part of its area is being developed by pump- 

 ing plants, which may be fed by a nearby oil field 

 and refinery at a minimum cost. 



Another part of the valley lies in proximity to a 

 gravity system, which when completed by the com- 

 pany will amply provide water for its broad acreage. 



Still farther towards the south end of the valley 

 is a large acreage where the water lift is greater, and 

 may be placed under development by the company 

 through the agency of electric power, which is con- 

 venient. 



The water development is being carried on under 

 the direction of P. E. Fuller, consulting reclamation 

 engineer, and other directors of the company are 

 William Hicks, H. V. Wall and W. R. Little, all of 

 1001 Central building, Los Angeles, Cal. 



Discing sod land before plowing will give a much 

 finer seed bed for planting. 



