Show GUNTS OF ARID LANDS what has been accomplished under the law BUT ONE application MADE western states watching tho the wyoming with interest provisions of 0 tho the act which give a million acres to each arid state alfalfa recommended its as a banner chop for arid lands TRIBUNE BUREAU 1 post building pennsylva pennsylvania nial ave f washington D C nov 19 section 4 ot of the sundry civil appropriation pria tion lill hll planed passed by congress in august ot of last year making appropriations tor for the fiscal year ending june authorizes author laca the secretary ot of the interior with the approval at 0 tho the president to contract and to agree to patent to the states of 0 tho the northwest including idaho wyoming nevada montana oregon colorado washington california and the dakotas or any amy other states in which may bo be found desert lands not to exceed acres ot of such lands landa to each state slate under conditions condi tlona laid down by tile the act and regulations as provided by the secretary ot of the interior the purpose ot at the act la is to old aid those states within whose borders are found desert lands to reclaim the barren soil and to encourage settlement cultivation and sale of the same in am small a 11 parcels to actual settlers the united states agrees to grant and to patent to the states tree free of 0 cost for survey y or price such desert lands not exceeding tho the number 0 ot f acres stated above in cadi cacti state stale as tho the state may cause to be irrigated reclaimed and occupied up to the present time tho the only state abich lies has applied for or land under the provisions of 0 tills this act ot of congress 13 14 wyoming that commonwealth has made application to the secretary ot of the interior for some acres which aich Is distributed through different av land d at acts as follows the first application catlon covers H acres in the lander district the next being abeln all tn in the buffalo district and tor for 5 and 1800 acres and tho the fifth application covers acres in the douglas district the department tins liaa been notified by wire that the state lifts has forwarded foi fot warded by mall an application tor for land in the evanston district but this lias has not been mado made public up to date dale the interior department has not yet pitied upon any of 0 these applications ot of wyoming but the lists have been examined and are now awaiting correction and additional data before leing icing sent to the secretary the officials have not finished their work upon arranging the details for or the turning over of the land to tile the states slates and to the settlers but the regulations required by law as to the proof ot of irrigation reclamation lecla matlon and occupation necessary before patent can issue will soon be prepared by the land office there la Is no immediate need of 0 them but it Is deemed desirable that the exact requirements shall be known to settlers at the time they enter upon the reclamation of 0 lands the states state to 0 whom these desert lands are anted granted get them entirely free of cost with the proviso that all moneys received by them for such lands sold shall be act apart for or the promotion of further irrigation and reclamation until the on entire million acres have been reclaimed the regulations which have yet to be issued by the department include those governing the proving up ot of the tha lands whether the state will lave to prove to the interior department that the lands taken for settlement and reclamation have been properly settled and reclaimed according to the laws before the patent can be issued or the settlor nettier make mak proof to the interior apa department e t direct has not been decided by the land office which has control in such matters WATCHED WITH INTEREST the states at 0 idaho montano montana washington and pos sitty colorado are arc watching with much interest the result of the experiment of Wio wyoming and will doubtless doubt lesi make application for desert land under the act if the result of the action of wyoming should bo be encouraging and there seems to he be no reason why jt it should not bi be these states though they have lave not filed application catlon as yet have taken action so it Is understood by the commissioner of tho the general land office looking to such a step the benefits to be derived by the states thus transforming desert lands into good agricultural country are best understood by those in the west who have seen bien bi en other instances of like nature the number of canal anti and irrigating companies in the western states will of course bo be greatly increased and will bring a gain again title into prominence the move lookin looking g to the creation by congress of a national irrigation commission ALFALFA A BANNER CROP the special agent in charge of office ot of irrigation inquiry of 0 the dep department artmont of agriculture col C W irish hag im i been recently making investigations into tho the result of the alfalfa crops a of f the country and with the insult that lie he Is now more of tin an enthusiast upon the subject of if title this fodder plant col irish bays while alfalfa Is especially adapted to particularly dry sections the people of utah declama that it lias hag solved for or them the question of profitable farming and I 1 arn am satisfied that it will be found a most remunerative crop in all reasonably dry sect sections inns of this country provided a good site be selected on high ground with good natural drainage in III sections where it Is MU much it grown it Is frequently found advantageous a to pasture olt off the third 0 rop crop provided the sheep are kept off it in III sections of the country where tile the basolis soil oil and climate are dry find and seasons are to be expected lie he regards alfalfa as a banner crop the roots are bound to reach the water even at a a distance of twenty alive to forty or more root act below the surface where thero there Is in no interi interfering ring soil sell stratum of an impervious clia character under ordinarily favorable circumstances tile the former fanner can count upon three crops a L isaason season which should aggregate faul our r to five tons tona per acre in tho the section w whence hence the simples samples he received were vore taken water lies about sixteen feet below the surface I 1 tho the following results are announced by the agricultural dep depan ar anent from sam piou ta or air alfIL from the platte valley at i in nebraska bet between con kearney kearncy and now new platte I 1 sample no 1 planted two and a 0 halt years year and cropped seven tims shows a root nine feet long sample no 2 planted a year and five months and cropped live times shows allows a aront three feet long to where it has broken off no 3 planted only twelve slid a halt half months lies lias given two crops and shows it a root rant three feet long no 4 planted four months and c cropped pred onoe once with I 1 the elie second crop w well e way whon who A the was cut shows a root P eight agh t i een con and a holt halt inches long no B G forty days from seeding shows elbows a 0 root six inches long with the tap root I 1 the he same height COST or OF HAULING PRODUCTS with the ald aid of the iho division ot of atit or of the Agil agricultural cultural department I 1 reports bave inn IN n gathered atom riom at about 1200 cound count loi rh ing the average length bof of haul amul in III wilt from farms to macket bior or shipping points the tao weight 0 f load hauled and the overage cost per ton ion per mile anil train from this thin li deducted thu the average ave raffe cost coat per ton for tile the whole length rth of haul these r returns P bave been arranged in groups of states and the result shows that the verge average length of haul in the eastern states stales Is 1 51 55 miles III the northern states 69 talks in the middle states stales 88 miles in th tb cotton catton states 12 G miles mile in the prairie states sa miles in the pacific coast and mountain states 2 23 1 3 miles mile and in the united states miles the average weight of load for two horses in the stampa la Is 2219 pounds northern northeim states 2136 2126 pound a ii middle southern states 1869 pounds cotton stater 17 pounds prairie states 2103 1409 pounds pacific const coast and mountain states state 2107 pounds and the united states pounds the average cost per ton of 0 loto 2000 pounds per mile in tile the eastern states stales Is 31 32 cents northern states 27 cents himle southern states slates 31 21 cents cotton n states 27 21 cents prairie states slates 22 3 cents pacific coast and mountain states 22 cents and the united statts 25 cents the average total cost per ton for the whole length of haul eastrin states state a northern rn states middle e southern states cotton stat states e s prairie states pacific can const s t and mountain Mount aln states state 1312 1512 and the united states 1302 with these data it becomes possible bla to obtain approximately the total cost of the entire movement of farm products and other classes of materials over country roads roada tho lh census returns of 0 abe farm products of the united stat for ISM 1390 addene 8 per cent tor for the increase tn in jayo corresponding to the increase crea e in tile previous ton years find ing in the weights of ahn th various art artl clra lelos and reducing the total to tons of 2000 pound ve ue have a total weight of farm products for or the year 1835 1805 of at tons the amounts by states iowa lends code with tons long the division of forestry of the department part ment furnishes an of forest products as follows cubic foot feet annual cut of fuel is vill mill product 5 0 total tho the chief of the forestry makes the very safe estimate that one fourth of this total or Is 13 hauled over tho the public roads adding timber used for lall inAl road construction ou blo bid feet makes n total of which at thirty pounds per cubic toot foot gives M tons tona of 2000 pounds adding this to the total far farm in product gives elves Sl tons tona which tit at the average cost above stated per par ton makes a grand total for the annual cost of haulage on the public roads of 54 W B 1 ANNIN |