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Show AGRONOMY I This Department is Edited by Prof. J. C. Hogenson, of the Ag-4 Ag-4 riculrural College. TO UTAH FARMERS. One of the important measures which the coming legislature will be asked to pass will be a .kill to provide for the establishing and operation of wells in arid tracts to furnish farmers with water for culinary and other domestic do-mestic purposes aside from irrigation. In all probability the bill' will come from the state land board. The last legislature appropriated $7500 to be used' in making experiments experi-ments to ascertain the feasibility of the use of subterranean water for domestic do-mestic purposes on -arid farm and grazing lands, but no provision was made for the distribution of the water thus obtained. Under the appropriation of the legislature, leg-islature, the land board last January let a contract for the driving of a well in Cedar Valley in Utah County. At a depth of 'approximately 200 feet, water was struck, and at a depth of 600 feet a sufficient pressure was obtained ob-tained to produce a flow of twelve gallons a minute. The water is excellent ex-cellent for culinary and domestic purposes, pur-poses, and the flow still continues, showing that the theory of the project pro-ject is sound, but there is nothing on the statute books providing for the allotment and distribution of the water wat-er to the farmers, and as a consequence conse-quence the state land ikoard has not felt like assuming authority in the matter until there is some definite legislation leg-islation on, the subject, and the farmers farm-ers in the neighborhood of the well have helped themselves to its waterV at will, with no revenue accruing to the state. The purpose 6f the proposed bill, as discussed by Thomas C. Callister, secretary sec-retary of the state land board, will be to provide for the driving of such wells in arid land 'areas and their operation, op-eration, which will include the allotment allot-ment and distribution of their waters, after they arc established. The plan, as proposed, to effect this, is not dissimilar dis-similar to that under which arid lands arc now segregated1 under the Carey land act. The state land board will be given power to contract with corporations cor-porations for the driving of such wells and then to lease them to the corpotv ations driving them, establishing a maximum price for the water as a restriction re-striction against an excessive charge to the farmers supplied. This is one of two or thr.ee plans proposed, which arc only in their inception now. The proposed bill will be second in importance to the farmers situated in wide arid areas only to the Carey land act, it is claimed. It will not only provicFc plenty of water for all domestic do-mestic uses, but will insure the neighborhood neigh-borhood from sickness or diseases resulting re-sulting from impure water. Convenience Conven-ience will be another important advantage. ad-vantage. Whereas farmers situated in arid areas now have to haul water for domestic purposes, including the watering wat-ering of stock, which requires a big supply, long distances, the wells will Ibc driven near the center of the densest dens-est population to obviate the long haul, The reduction in cost will be Jfc another .big item. The cost to the fr farmer or grazer averages 3 cents a gallon now, MY. Callister says. Water Wat-er fromi the driven wells can be produced pro-duced for one-quarter of a cent a gallon, it is claimed. In anticipation of the legislature taking some action giving the land board authority in the matter, contracts con-tracts for two more-wclls, oncMn Dog Valley and one on Lcvan ridge, similar simi-lar to the one driven in Cedar Valley, will be let by the board at itis meeting December 1. Another one of thesVwclls is now being driven in thcS Salt Wclls' Valley in Box Elder ) County, Each of these wells have capacity to supply from fifteen to twenty" farms, it is said. J |
