New-York tribune., 1870-11-12
WHATIKNOW OFFARMING.
Xiv.
xxyy,CT,EDN IDpIG ALTON
RI HORACE GREELEY.


but that some acres of every township, and OF nea%
every farm should and viii be. propose nero" -
sneak with direct reference to that large Poi"
our country which cannot be cultivated :" "n' oo
Dose without Irrigation. This region' VIZ iI;coted
tics,lly raness I'm Summer, may I've eIot' TO- o.,,s,rd
- extending from the forks OF the ~. - o-t;o,
and as including all our presene u =, -, a NJ
nj Western Texas the entire e'a'o " 80, oroo
-. - toutbs of California. On TINS '"s' 49,
teast nine 'ep'iio falls between April and No
80. nv lille its SOIL parcbed by forV'd elouuiesS
's ent nv intensely dry winds, IL utterly oi-
49, 80 - ,noisture To a depth of three or four 1eet;
- have seen the tree known az Buckeye growing
a. q at east six inches in diameter, whereon every
hf was vithered and utterly dead before the END Oh
Iuoust though the tree still lived and would renew
It's foliage next Spring.
Most of this broad area is usually spoken OF as des
art because treeless, except on the slopes ot us
mountains, where certain evergreens would seem 10
sispense with moisture, and the brink of infre-
ouent and scanty streams, where the all but WORTH
less Cotton-woOdi il eften found growing iuNuiiantiy
A very little low gamma grass on the Plains
some struggling bunch grass on the mountains, with
an endless profuson Of the two poor shrubs, popular
Nv known as Sage-brush aud Grease-wood, compose
Che vegetation of nearly quite million square
miles
Twin confne myself in this essay to the readest
means OF rrigating the Plains, by which mean the
s but treeless plateau that stretches from the base
of the Rocky Mountains, 600 20 400 miles eastward,
sIopng imperceptibly toward tho Missouri, and
Snined by the alluents of the Platte, the Kansas
aud the Arkansas Rivers
The North Platte has its sources iii the western,
fhe South Platte bas in the eastern, slopes of the
Rocky Mountains. Each of them puIsues a generally
northeast for 900 miles, and then turns
sharply TO the eastward uniting some 300 miles east
vnd of the mountains, where the Plains mllt into
the Praies Between these two rivers and the east
srn base of the mountains lies irregular delta or
triangle, which seems susceptible Of irrigation at
smaller cost than the residue. The location OF Union
Colony may be taken fair illustration OF the pro-
cess and the facilities therefor afforded by nature
Among the streams which, taking rise in the east
ern gorces Of the Rocky Mountains run into the
South Platte the most considerable has somehow
senuired the French name of Cache la Pondre. 1t
heads in and about Longs Peak, and, after emerging
from the mountains, some 20 to % miles nearly
due east, with a descent in that distance ot about
100 feet. It's waters are very low i'll Autumn and
Winter and highest in May, June and July, from
She melting of snow and ice on the lofty mountains
which feed it, Like all the streams Of this region it
IL broad and shallow, with its bed hut three TO
-four feet below the Plains on either side
Greeley, the nucleus Of Union Colony, is located
Pacific Railroad, about midway Of its course from
the Kansas Pacific at Denver nOrthward TO the
Union Pacific at Cheyenne. Here village Of some
coo to 800 houses has suddenly grown up during the
past Summer.
The first irrgating canal of Union Colony leaves
the Cache Ia Poudre six or eight miles above
Greeley, the south side, and is carried
gradually further aud further from the
stream until it is fully mile distant at the
.xha ia spntiu unan n at ta
Branches bitches lead thence nOrthward, convey
mg rills through the streets of the village the gar
dens OF plats of its inhabitants, and the public
square, or plaza which is designed 10 be Its chief or
sament Other branches lead to the farms and five
acre allOtments whereby the village is surrounded
still Others viii do in time 10 all the land between
the canal and the river In due time another canal
vii be taken out from point further up the stream,
srd viii rrigate the lands of the colony lying south
Cf the present canal and which meantime do
voted tO pastursge in common.
Taking the water out of the river is here a very
simple matter. AT the bead of an island rude dam
Sf brush and stones and eSTth Id thrown across the
bed of the stream, 10 rNSe the surface two or
three feet when the water is lowest, and very much
Ass when it is highest. Thus detected portion of
Sic water flows easily into the canal
= very much larger aud longer canal, leaving the
frIela Poadre close to the mountains, and gradu-
III, inc easing its distance from that stream 10 four
Gv. miles i in progress by sections, and is to
~ cour,etod tn~,s Winter. Its length will he 30
miles aud il will rrste. when the necessary sub
canals shall have been ot>ostFucted not less than
soo0 acres But il may be Ten years before al this
work is completed or even required the lands most
easily watercd from the main canal viii be FIRST
sroncht mn, sntivaton the sub-canals VIII be dug
~ they 80. -;:1m a5e wanted
,t.,r. ,f ll tnlg
location hesitated to take farm aotnents and build
ppon them from distrusto of the capacities OF the SOIL
They saw nothing OF value growing upon it the little
.7ass fonnd upon it was short, thin, and brown IL
was not black like the praries and bottoms OF ILL
po.a and Kansas but ot light yellow snut-color
and deemed sterile by many But few took hold,
and planted aud sowed resoutely; and though 1t was
tooate in the season for most grains theTesuts
most satisfactory. Wheat sown in June produced 80
bn1hels 10 the acre. Oats md we while Potatoes,
Bests, Turnips SGuashes Cabbage. &C., yielded
counteously, Tomatoes did hkewise, but the
plaatS were obtained from Denver. Little was
sone with Indian Corn, but that HtfJe
turned out wen, though ! judge that the Summer
nights are too cold here 10 Justly sangne eXpect-
Qone ~ Corn etop-the altitude being 5000 feet
hbero Ohe sra with snow-coverod mountains always
<tsiDle in the west. For other Grains, and for all
Vegetables and Grasses believe there Ii no better
spl in the world.
To many the cost Of Irrigation would seem
10 much added TO the expense Of cultivation
without irrigation bat this is mistake. Here
l. land entirely free from stump or stick or
atone, which may easily and surely be plowed
or seeded IN March or April, and which
~in produce great crops Of nearly every grain
.rass oy vegetable, with very moderate ontlay
n labor 90 subdue on till IL. The farmer need not