OCR Text |
Show oo DROUTH II UTAH DO! DAMAGE RUING INTO MILLIONS The drouth in Utah extends throughout through-out the state and great , damage is being done. The weather forecast promises no relief. In Montana and Idaho the drouth is worse than in Utah. The Snake river is reduced to a small stream. R. E. Davis, chairman of the state board of land commissioners, has for the past month been traveling over the seven northern counties of Utah from Rich to Box Elder, including Salt Lake and Summit, and reports that he 1 1 onsidors a conservative estimate of I tlfe loss by drought in that section plai B it at fully $1,000,000. Mr. Davis has had a lifelong experience exper-ience in farming and canning business. Hay and beets, he says, will run about 75 per cent of a full crop. Irrigation Irri-gation of beets has already been necessary ne-cessary for some weeks, although u-ueually u-ueually it is not necessary' until about July 1. Irrigation water for this purpose pur-pose is scarce. The wheat crop, in Mr. Davis' opinion, opin-ion, will be about 75 per cent of nor mal, and a remarkably good showing, ; considering conditions under which it v;is grown. Blue Creek and Bear River Riv-er valleys and tho west side of Cache valley, all large dry' land wheat districts, dis-tricts, have come through the drought remarkably well. I The warm weather is good for the tomatoes, and the pea crop also is looking well, so far. Considerable damage to the fruit crop is forecast, on account of- scarcity of water when time comes to irrigate heavily. George F. McGonagle. sUUe engineer, says reports in Ms offi.ee indicate something like a f5 per cent amount of I moisture available The shortage of rains during the growing season of 'the crops has caused the use of irri gation water early, with the result that the storage supply probably will not run through the season. i Water already been shut out of H canals on the upp'T Weber, with the j result that about half a crop of hay j and grain will be harvested on the lands under those canals. m HHHI |