LANDS TO BE IRRIGATED

OWNERSHIP OF LANDS

Much of the land on the project was homesteaded 30 to 40 years ago, and for a few years a number of small irrigation ventures and many dry farms were reasonably successful. Prolonged periods of drought and the overtaxing of stream flows and ground waters forced the abandonment of large areas of land and numerous small towns many years ago, but large areas are still devoted to the growing of grain on large tracts. In years of exceptionally heavy rainfall, they yield large crops.

Practically all of the irrigable land is owned privately by individuals, counties, and railroads and other corporations, largely by farmer holders of mortgages on the land. Before water for irrigation of the land will be procurable from the Government, the land must be made available to settlers at reasonable prices.

Four massive mixers receive their 4-yard charges, mix them, and dump them by remote control.

CLIMATE ON PROJECT LANDS

The mean annual temperature on the project lands is 50.4° F., and during the irrigation season from April to October, it is 62.2° F. The summers are characterized by hot days and coal nights. The average frost-free period is 169 days, considerably greater than that in many notably successful irrigated districts. The mean annual precipitation is 8.2 inches, but the mean for the growing season is only 3.6 inches.

Cement, water, and aggregate for different concrete mixes are weighed out automatically by multibeam scales

SOIL AND CROPS ON PROJECT LANDS

The soil, deposited chiefly from turbid glacial waters that covered the land during the last Ice Age, is generally deep, and it varies from fine, silty loam to sandy loam. There are small areas of sandy soil underlain with gravel. Ia 1911 the Bureau of Soils of the Department of Agriculture after a partial survey reported the soil to be extremely rich, stating that, if irrigated, it would be productive. Subsequent more extensive soil surveys confirm such findings.

The crops may be any or all of those common to a temperate zone, such as hay, grain, beans, peas, other vegetables, and fruits. Since the land is to be held in relatively small tracts, intensive methods of farming will be followed, and no material additions will be made to "surplus" crops. Much of the land will be devoted to the raising of livestock and forage crops.

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