The west shore., October 01, 1885, Page 302, Image 12

302
THE WEST SHORE.
ARABLE LANDS OF SOUTHERN IDAHO.
ALTHOUGH Idaho is known to the outside world as
a mountainous region whose chief industry is min
ins, it in none the loss tho fact that agriculture and bUaiL
raising have taken strong hold in that region, and the
judications are that the noil will ere many years, as in
now tlie cane in tho great mining State of California,
yield more under tlm hand of labor and support a larger
population than the golden sands or mineral-laden rocks.
The area susceptible of cultivation, or valuable for pas
toral pursuit, is enormous. Valleys and vast table lands
or plateaus, covered with a doep, fertile soil, form a large
portion of the surface of the Territory.
Thofa are in Idaho 10,200 square miles of arablo val
ley and prairie land situate! at an elevation less than
8,00.') foot uliove the level of the sea, making an agricul
tural tract equal in aixn to the whole State of Vermont
Not ono-twontieth of theso lands is occupied. The val
leys are long, narrow strijm lying on oither side of water
courses, and flanked by mountain or riding in lynches
to table lands.
The soil may be divided into four classes alkaline
mountain, plain and valley. The first, when relieved of
iU iurahundance of salts by irrigation, becomes ex
tremely fertile. There is not, however, a largo area of
alkali lands. Mountain soil in the wooded sections is
black, deep and full of vegetable mold. Tho soil of the
plains, also, contains much mold and is fertile and highly
productive of cereals. The vallny soil contains tho con
donsod richness of vast areas of vegetable growth, which
has been for ages brought down from the mountain sides
by the hundreds of streams which form the largo water
courses. The mountains are high but not very precipi
tons, affording god protection to the valleys from cold
winds.
lletwoeu II,.io Valley and the southern boundary
line there are fertile valleys traversing sago brush plains
ami table lands. Tlm proportion of timber in this region
is small, being confined chiefly to the lines of streams
and mountain sides, Throe-fourths of this vast surface
is caable of reclamation by irrigation, and will produce
abundant cro. In the southwest section of this dis
trict ars several fertile valleys tributary to the Owyhee.
In the southeast section among others are the upjier end
of Cache Valley, which produce all kinds of cereals and
vegvUhlea, and Malado Valley, fifty mil,., Wg by frnm
thrw, Uj four miles wide. The last named is a fine, for
tile valley, oouUiuing several farming settlement. It
couUuns 175 square miles of irrigable UmL the valley
is flat, and though the streams have but slight fall, still
m the beuche. are everywhere low, the water can be"
Ukon out all over the valley. IWr Uke Valley contain.
U,u m aquare mil, of tillable land. It extends in a
lad belt on both aide, of the river southward from
Hods Springs fur fifteen mil,, where the river is forced
into a narrow canyon, but begin, again at Georgetown
and extend, up the Uke. In the valley, of the Dlaokfoot
and 1U branches there u much valuable land. TroUbly
175 aquar miles can be made productive.
In Southern Idaho irrigation is generally necessary.
So far from boing a drawback, however, the farmer has
now come to regard this fact as an advantage. Crops
thus cultivated aro not subject to tho viciobiluJoa of rain
fall; the possibilities of drought are avoided; the farmer's
lalwrs are seldom interrupted and his crops rarely in
jured by storms. This immunity from drought and
storm renders agricultural operations much more certain
than in the Eastern States. Again, the water comes
down from the mountains and plateaus freighted with
fertilizing materials derived from the decaying vegetation
and soils of the upper regions, which are spread by tho
flowing water over cultivated lands. It is probable that
the benefit derived from this source alone will be full
compensation for tho cost of the process. Experience
will correct tho errors occasionally resulting from jor
mitting too great or too rapid a flow of water, and tho
irrigator soon loams to flood his lands gently, evenly and
economically. A stranger entering this nrid region is
apt to conclude that the soils are sterile because of their
chemical composition; but experience demonstrates the
fact that all the soils are suitable for agricultural pur
poses when properly supplied with water.
Boise" Valley, especially in the neigljsorhood of Boise"
City, affords an excellent example. Within twenty years
a barren sage brush plain has been transformed into a
paradise. Trees and shrubbery adorn tho streets and
gardens. Orchards bonding beneath the burden of their
fruit, Colds of waving grain, gardens producing evory
variety of crops, nre on all sidos. Tho larger and smallor
fruitH, perfect in form and flavor, and the mammoth veg
etables whose characteristic flavors are not affected by
their size, surpass the much-extolled products of Cali
fornia. The area formed by the junction of tho Bois5, Payette,
Weiser and Owyhee valleys is a vast agricultural region.
In the immense basin formed by the confluence of
Idaho's groat rivers is a compact body of farming lands
millions of sores in extent-the largest agricultural nrra
between the great prairies and the plaiiiB of the Colum
bia, In soil, climate and facilities for irrigation it is
unsurpassed It is mainly the rich, warm loam that pro
duces sage brush to perfection in its natural state, and
all the cereals, fruits and vegetables of this latitude
when cultivated. Thore are acres upon acres of apples,
plums, )ears, poaches and small fruits, and alongside of
them, almost as far as the eye can roach, nre stretches of
wild farming lauds awaiting claimants and cultivation.
It is not unusual for immigrants to locate on wild lands
in these valleys, put up comfortable houses, good barns,
good fences, etc., and pay for all such improvements with
the first year', crop of potatoes or other vegetables, taken
from only a small portion of their farms. The fact that
Idaho farmers were, as a rule, very poor when thoy em
barked .in business a few years ago, and that they are
now generally well off, and have fine buildings and im.
provemenU, with large hords of stock, is proof that this
is a lucrative pursuit Oats yield 55 bushels per acre;
wheat, 30; rye, 25; potatoes, 250.