Show agriculture IN washington CO big strides made in last few years possibilities great for doubling area now under cultivation in short time this Is the third of a series of fifteen articled which will be published in each weeks issue of the washington count saws for fifteen weeks outlining to the outside world the vast field of opportunities tuni ties existing in southern utah for advancement and success the facia contained in these articles are all reliable and gathered by an expert publicity man who has had many years experience in this business the news throughout the fifteen weeks will make an effort to show that there Is not a country west of the mississippi river that of fers a wider field of endeavor than ashington count every phase of industrial life and business activity will be cohered in a thorough and constructive manner the carrying out of tills campaign has been made possible b the advertising support accorded b the man progressive business firms of the alt of st george after reading tills industrial article turn to the industrial page and see who these firms arc contributing to the future development by publicity means of the resources of st george ever reader of the washington county news who lias a per bonal pride in dixie should make it a point after he haa read his copy of the paper to mall it to some relative or friend in some other section of the united states for lus perusal it will mean that our outside circulation can be materially increased b this means and it will eventually mean more immigration and a greater development of washington count it only costs a veo little and the articles will all be interesting to people who are not familiar with the extensive development tho west lias undergone during the last half a century by R K evans washington county la destined to be among the leading agricultural j counties in southern utah with the development ot more irrigation projects which are now under way and which are taken up more extensively in another article inala series as ts the fruit growing industry which la one of the leading of abla section due to the semitropical semi tropical climate great strides towards advancement have been made in the county with the breaking up of the extensive cattle ranges and the tilling of the soil in the fertile valleys of the county since 1900 when there were only farms in the county the advancement van cement has been to farms in 1910 and farms at the present time A farm as referred to in this article Is all the land which Is directly farmed by one person managing and conducting agricultural operations erat ions either by bis own labor alone or with the assistance ot the members of bis household or hired employees A farm may consist of a single tract of land or of a number of se and distinct tracts there are male farmers in the county and seven female farmers sixteen of these farms are under three acres while sixty are from three to nine acres eighty seven 10 to 19 acres one hundred and eight 20 to 49 acres ninety one 60 to 99 acres one hundred and fifteen to acres sixty five to acres one hundred and two to acres twenty two to acres and twelve farms that have more than 1000 acres while the approximate land area of the county Is acres on ly acres of this land are now f in farms and bis fact alone will show the reader the extensive possibilities bili ties tor agricultural development in the county much of the land area however Is devoted to stock grazing and is worth little more for any other occupation and many thousands of acres are available tor dry farming only 81 percent of the country a land area is now under cultivation the improved land in farms in the county amounts to acres the estimated value of all land in the county in farms is as compared to in 1900 showing what effe cUve strides have been made in develop ment in twenty years of the farms in the county operated today of these are operated by the owners themselves the principal crops grown in washington county are tha cereals hay and forage vegetables fruits graces and nuts of abo cereals wheat corn barley bats and re form the principal crops walla 0 amy au kfir fc es are grown as well as timothy ilone timothy and clover mixed lovar alone alfalfa which is by far he major forage crop and much tor ige Is secured from the wild prairie grasses some email grains are cut for hay and some kaffar sorghum and root crops are grown tor forage potatoes thrive exceptionally well in the county there being last year bushels raised from acres there Is probably more corn grown n washington county than any othir county in the state this Is due 0 o the low altitude long growing sea ion and exceptional climate the remit is that this county makes as good i county for feeding livestock as many counties to be found in the corn belt last year there were 16 CO acres of the countes coun tys farm lands planted to corn which gave a yield of bushels or an average of approximately 17 bushels to the acre oats la not such an important cereal crop and very little of the land is planted to this cereal there being approximately acres planted in oats which gives a yield of bushels wheat Is the major cereal crop ol 01 the county more than acres being planted in wheat the grain does exceptionally well especially in the irrigated sections the yield tor last year was more than bushels two hundred and forty two acres were planted to barley in 1920 with a yield of bushels while thirty two acres were planted to rye which gave a yield of bushels the total value of the cereals raised in the county this last season Is conservatively estimated at of the forage crops alfalfa Is by far the major crop and does exceptionally tio nally well four good cuttings always being secured in the lower altitudes there are of the coun tys farm lands planted to alfalfa which will give a yearly production in hay of tons of the tame and cultivated grasses in the county acres are used tor this purpose which is not included in the acreage of improved farm lands the forage yield from this acreage Is approximately tons fruits can well be classed with the agricultural production ot the county and from twelve acres planted to small fruits such as strawberries raspberries rasp berries and currants quarts were produced last year of the orchard fruits it is estimated that there is a total of bearing trees alth non bearing because of their young age from these trees approximately bushels of fruits such as apples peaches pears plums and prunes and cherries were produced there are grapo vines of producing see 14 tb awty vib of bearing age from the producing vines pounds of grapes are produced there are nut trees of producing ago and non producing trees the latter being in a state of development from these trees pounds of nuts were produced figs and pomegranates also do well and yield la the lower altitudes the reader may get some conception of the future for agricultural production in this county when it Is stated that on 8 1 per cent of the countes coun tys lada in 1920 crops valued in excess of were produced this means that if additional of the lands are settled and cultivated under the scientific methods that the total production can be doubled in very short time diversified farming including and dairying is the most profitable type of farming to follow much land Is adapted to sheep aad cattle grazing and the nearby forest reserves supply pasture for large numbers of livestock during the summer months larger crops can be raised under irrigation than under humid conditions but the cost is somewhat greater large areas of dry farm lands are cultivated at much less expense dry farming is really scientific farming it Is farming la accordance with the known laws and the use of good common sense there is a great field in the higher lands of the county for this class of farming and exceptional opportunities fire of the farmer who is willing to adopt the best methods in farm operation A well selected piece of land is absolutely necessary in dry farming and the importance of securing a proper alto cannot be overestimated in determining the best location it Is also advisable to consider the distance to market the available water supply tor domestic purposes which is ample in most parts of the county and the character of the soil in judging the soil a good growth of prairie grasa and age brush are favorable signs crop yields are not as large under this semiarid semi arid system of agriculture as under irrigation but the investment in land and equipment necessary to farm are relatively less hence the returns on the investment are often as large and sometimes greater than on the irrigated lands crops which are known to be practically drought resisting are grown in the dry farming areas this includes several varieties of wheat emmer barley oats rye flax allo maize kaffar corn millett sweet clover and certain strains of alfalfa crops which are cultivated in rows are especially adapted to dry farming rotations and include corn potatoes and beans the success of dry farming operations lies in the storage of moisture in the bolls tor the use ot the growing crops during the period ot dr ness and the reduction of surface evaporation through cultural methods summer tallow is a successful method of storing moisture for a future crop it bag been found by experiment peri ment and born out by practice that a rowed and cultivated crop it carefully handled and not too thickly planted will give equal results with summer tallow methods the combination of scientific farming and stock raising offers induce ments to the person with limited capital who desires to engage in agricultural ri work the pit silo for storing feed on the dry will tend to increase the number of head of stock which can be kept per farm and hence the prosperity of the farmer irrigation in utah as stated be fore began with the early pioneers necessity being the mother of indention the cormons mormons were the first anglo saxons to use irrigation methods in supplying moisture for lands the growth and expansion of irrigation has been gradual and in keeping with the settlement and development of the detate in the last analysis agriculture will be to southern utah as it always ha been to the rest of the world the best basis for permanent prosperity only salm elating and expanding choso pictured industries of a few years hence agriculture ri will provide the great bulk c ai ship for this section and contribute most towards making this section the best place to live crops have the great advantage ot a beal tropical sunshine and under irrigation can be supplied with water at such times and in such amounts aa will produce tho best results the soils of the arid lands are especially rich in mineral pant foods or they have not been washed out by the rains of ages the combination of favorable climatic conditions rich soils and the control of nater supplies produce crops in washington county that can hardly be excelled anywhere either in quantity or quality hettche to the farmer who wishes to live well and work while he lives washington county offers opportunities that will stand the most rigid investigations washington countes coun tys hope lies principally in the production of grapes figs nuts pomegranates peaches etc and will be more fully dealt with in another article later dealing entirely with horticulture |