Arizona citizen., 1873-07-12
OF THE PLAINS.

plains of the United States is an-
 nually becoming one of deeper in-
 terest. Nearly all of the several
 Territories and much of some of the
 States require irrigation to insure
 production of grain, fruit, vegetables
 and other products necessary to human
 subsistence, to say nothing of pros
 perity. This subject has become one
 Of such importance that it claims at
 tention alike from the small and
 great statesmen of the country. Wy
 oming and Colorado are especially
 walked up on it. Colorado finds
 that she must bring the water
 of her streams upon her dry land,
 else stop inviting population to pursue
 agriculture. N. c. Meeker, one of
 Colorado's best thinkers, writes to the Denver News "that as @ matter of
 "self-preservation we shall be obliged
 ito enter upon the broadest system of
 "irrigation that our combined efforts
 twill permit" The press and people of the Territory generally realize the truth of his declaration, and are preparing to act upon it in prac- ticable way. Already they have held a Territorial convention on the sub iect, to which Gov. Mccormick was invited, and in his letter declining to accept because of other duties, he said:
 I much regret it, as am deeply inter- ested in the subject of irrigation, and anx- ious for united action on the part of the Territories to secure congressional legisla tion for its encouragement and protection.
 I trust your meeting will attract atten- ton to the subject and lead to important practical results in Colorado, if not else- where, and I will thank you to send me such papers or documents az may furnish an account of the proceedings.
 The convention was we'll attended and its proceedings show determine tion to act practically and speedily in the premises. It is proposed to hold @ convention in San Francisco next September to arouse more general feeling, at which all the Ter ritories and dry land States are ex- pected to be represented. The chief purpose is to arouse Congress to lead in irrigation enterprises, somewhat after the manner the English govern ment did in India during the American rebellion to grow cotton. Congress- men are beginning to appreciate the necessity of putting water upon our immense tracts of dry but rich lands, if we would populate them. The The New York and Chicago Tribunes and the Chicago Times, with other great journals which are opposed to any general system of internal inn provements, advocate Congressional assistance in retaining the nations dry lands.
 Arizona has peculiar interest in these movements and ought to be rep resented in the San Francisco conven- tion. Colorado, Wyoming and Cali fornia now have men of ability visit ing other States and Territories to gather facts based upon experience to promote the business, and some are now in India. MT. Meeker writes, June 2S in New York:
 I have to-day conversed with gentle man from Los Angeles, who is on his way to southern Europe, and especially to north ern Italy, where irrigation is in charge of the government, to investigate the various systems, and to report upon his return, that they may have all the advantages derived from experience of two thousand years.
 Arizona must not act indiferently in this irrigation movement which will not fail to result in vast benefit to the country at large, and especially to those parts which energetically participate in it. With system of irrigation that will make available and ecouomize all the water in Ari- zona. for soricultursl and mining pur-