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Show IMMENSE CROP S RAISED Oil RECLAIMED RE-CLAIMED LANDS In 1917 the 29,000 farmers on .1.000,-000 .1.000,-000 acres of land reclaimed by the re-clamation re-clamation service, department of the-Interior, the-Interior, wont over the tup with a crop valued at $50,000,000, according to the report of the bureau recently made to Secretary of the Interior Lane. The production capacity of the American Amer-ican desert after irrigation is emphasized empha-sized when the results of the farmers are compared with those of the humid states. The 117 crop from reclaimed lands exceeds in total value by Sll-000.000 Sll-000.000 all the crops of Maine, as shown by the census reports of 1909. It is greater by $7,000,000 than the combined crops of New Hampshire and Vermont, and only $4,436,000 less than the total crop values of Massachusetts Massa-chusetts and Connecticut. The gross average of $!V0 per acre for crops grown on the government's irrigated farmes is remarkable when compared with similar statistics for all the farmes in the United States, the average yields of which in 1909 were only $16.30 per acre. Such returns re-turns should at least allay the apprehension, appre-hension, if any now exists, that these farmers will not be sble to return the investment of money which has been made by the government in the construction con-struction of the irrigation systems. On several of these projects a single crop will suffice to return the entire investment . The summation of the activities of the service to date shows that work is under way on 30 projects, in 15 states. These projects embrace approximately ap-proximately 3,112,656 acres, or 60,331 farms. Water is now available for 1,750,000 acres in 37,103 farms and the construction of the necessary works to reclaim the balance is proceeding us rapidly as the limited funds will permit. As fast as water can be made available for the public lands in these projects, the settlers flock to them and the demands are usually in excess of the. supply. Land hunger Is increasing increas-ing with the rapidly rising price of farm lands, and the better prices for farm products. In view of this condition condi-tion and considering the Imperative need of an enormous Increase In food products, the importance of quickly extending the field of reclamation Is obvious. A brief rasume of the engineering" works to date is Illuminating. Since the organization of the service in 190" It has to Its credit many notable and worth while achievements. Several of the structures are monumental In character and rank with the greatest engineering works of the world " , engineers of the service have successfully success-fully completed the highest masonry dam, the longest tunnel, and the most capacious reservoir for Irrigation ever built. . Across the desert they have extended ex-tended a canal system 10,313 miles long, In which whole rivers are carried car-ried and turned upon the thirsty land The huge reservoirs In the fastnesses of the mountains, with a combined capacity of 9,000,000 acre feet, hold back the destructive floods of many streams. Twenty-six miles of tunnels penetrate the mountains, and through two of these, two rivers are carried outside of their own drainage basins. The surplus and waste waters are disposed dis-posed of by means of drains and ditches having a length of 1,247 miles. The volume of the dams is 13,258,-729 13,258,-729 cubic yards, and the excavations of rock and earth for canals and foundations foun-dations reach the enormous total of ilo4.Ol6.449 cubic yards, or about 60 per cent of the tota yardage of the Panama canal. In the construction of the several Irrigation Ir-rigation systems it was npcessary to dig 391 wells having a total depth of more than six and one-half miles More than 13,000 bridges and culverts of steel, concrete and wood were constructed, con-structed, which eud to end would extend ex-tend 74 miles. Canni structures of wood and concrete number more than 83.000. Pipe lines and flumes long enough to reach from New York to Washington and back again are now In place. The service has built and operated miles of standard guege railway, 2.871 miles of telephone, and 412 miles of transmission lines, in order to begin be-gin construction on many of the Important Im-portant works it was necessary to build 932 miles of wagon roads. The power plans of the service have developed 4S 093 horsepower, which Is utilized In construct ion and haed to many municipalities and Individuals. More than 1,200 buildings of all sorts have boen ereeled for the accommodation accommoda-tion of the employes tnd for other purposes. pur-poses. During the period of engineering engineer-ing work the service has laid out and established eleven townsites. several o "-hh are today thriving business centers. |