Page 70 



BETTER FRUIT 



March 



OKANOGAN IRRIGATION AND IMPROVEMENT CO. 

 TO IRRIGATE SIXTEEN THOUSAND ACRES OF LAND 



WHAT promises to prove one of the 

 largest and best irrigation projects 

 in the State of Washington is being 

 developed by the Okanogan Irrigation 

 and Improvement Company, of which 

 Judge William E. Richardson of Spo- 

 kane is president, O. N. Suksdorf of 

 Spokane secretary, and Milton N. Rog- 

 ers of Spokane treasurer. This company 

 has been organized with a capital stock 

 of $500,000 and has secured water rights 

 for sufficient water to irrigate more than 

 20,000 acres of land, and has contracted 

 for more than 10,000 acres already in 

 hand on the usual terms of half of the 

 land for water for the other half. The 

 lands to be watered lie in the north cen- 

 tral portion of Okanogan County, a dis- 

 trict already famous both for quantity 

 and quality of fruit produced, and about 

 twenty miles north of the federal project 

 on Pogue Flat. The water supply is 

 taken from the Sinlahekin and Toats 

 Coulee Creeks, these two streams having 

 a total watershed of several hundred 

 square miles and heading in snow-capped 

 mountains, which insures an ample 

 supply of water until midsummer, after 

 which time water will be supplied from 

 two storage reservoirs, to be filled during 

 the late fall and early spring months. 

 These storage reservoirs have sufficient 

 capacity to supply water for 30,000 acres 

 of land, so it will be seen that any possi- 

 bility of shortage has been guarded 

 against by the company. 



There can be no question as to the 

 desirability of this district, both for fruit 

 culture and as a place of residence. 

 Climatic conditions are as near perfect 

 as it is possible to find them anywhere, 

 the winter temperature in this neighbor- 

 hood seldom reaching zero and the sum- 

 mer temperature rarely exceeding ninety 

 degrees Fahrenheit. The elevation of 

 Whitestone Flat and Horsespring Coulee 

 varies between 1,200 and 1,400 feet, while 

 the Okanogan Valley west of the river 

 from Oroville to Tonasket shows an ele- 

 vation of from 1,000 to 1,200 feet. The 

 soil is for the most part a volcanic ash 

 with clay subsoil, and both water and air 

 drainage are believed to be as nearly 

 perfect as at any other point in the State 

 of Washington. 



The main reservoir is located in a chain 

 of lakes about ten miles south of Loomis, 

 in what is known as the Q. S. Coulee, 

 and just south of the p'oint where the 

 Sinlahekin Creek breaks out of the moun- 

 tains into the valley. This reservoir basin 

 covers 400 acres of water area in Blue 

 Lake, Long Lake and Round Lake. A 

 dam thirty feet in height is to be built at 

 the north end of Blue Lake, the elevation 

 being such that, in addition to the stor- 

 age of water, these lakes can be drawn 

 down twenty feet by a syphon and still 

 leave a substantial elevation of reservoir 

 above the headgate where water is taken 

 into the main canal. The entire system 

 is by gravity. 



The engineering plans have been pre- 

 pared by George H. Major of Indianapo- 

 lis, and Mr. Major is at present in the 

 field with a corps of engineers making 

 final surveys preparatory to active work 

 on reservoirs, canals and ditches. The 

 main canal for eleven miles will be twelve 

 feet wide on the bottom, eight feet deep 

 and twenty-four feet wide on top. There 

 will be three auxiliary canals eight feet 

 wide on the bottom and sixteen feet wide 

 on top. There will be a little more tlian 



NEW POWER OUTFIT.— After a thorough 

 investigation of methods and machines used 

 in spraying, Fairbanks, Morse & Co. are introduc- 

 ing a new sprayer that merits the consideration of 

 fruit growers. They have succeeded in manufac- 

 turing a power outfit very substantial in every 

 respect, weighing only 1,300 pounds, which makes 

 it much easier to handle on loose plowed ground 

 or out on the hillsides. The machine is built very 

 low, the platform being only 4 feet 3 inches above 

 the ground. This enables one to work through the 

 orchard without rubbing against the lower limbs 

 of the trees, which prevents barking the limbs, and 

 during the time of spraying when the fruit is on 

 the trees it does away with a good many apples 

 being knocked off by the spray outfit. The machine 

 is built very compactly and is much shorter in 

 ' length than the average machine, enabling the 

 grower to turn short and get around conveniently, 

 particularly in an old orchard where the trees are 

 planted very close together. While the engine is 

 one-horsepower, being light in construction it is 

 very effective in connection with pumping and 

 discing. Fairbanks, Morse & Company guarantee 

 a continuous pressure through two leads of hose of 

 200 pounds. They feel that they have effected a 

 machine that will meet with practically every 

 requirement of the fruit grower and desire to call 

 the attention of the orchardist to the splendid feat- 

 ures of their machine and will be glad to have any 

 one who is interested in power sprayers visit their 

 stores at Portland, Spokane or Seattle, and 

 thoroughly investigate for themselves. Courteous 

 representatives who thoroughly understand the 

 business will be found on hand, who will be glad of 

 an opportunity to explain every feature in connec- 

 tion with power outfits and their advantages. — Con- 

 tributed. 



A REPUTATION TO SUSTAIN 



The Vineland Nurseries 



CLARKSTON, WASHINGTON 



Has to offer for Spring Delivery, 1911, 

 as complete a line of Nursery Stock 

 as can be found in the Northwest 



All stock propagated from selected bearing trees. 



Experts all over the Pacific Northwest realize that no other nursery exercises greater care than we 

 do, and that 



No more reliable stock is grown than we produce. 



For fall delivery 191 1, and spring delivery 1912, we shall have to offer for the first time the 



RED GRAVENSTEIN 



The New Apple Sensation 

 Will tell you more about this wonderful apple, which is purely a fortunate accident of nature, later on. 



THE VINELAND NURSERIES CO. v^^SSn 



Owners of The Hanford Nurseries 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



