The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1881-05-11

DcuS v ere allotted to tho use Uf tho
farmers Of particular localities. This
country was cultivated by hand-labor
having no draft animals. lis i'm.
mcnse productive powers were due to
irrigation, good cultivation and tertili-
Zation.
On our part of the continent the
civilized AZtecs bad made considera.
bic progress in the science Of irriya-
ton, and the ruins Of their cunals and
ditches may be traced in Mexico,
Lower California and Texas. These
have been Incorrectly referred to, as
the more modern work OF the .Jesuits,
perhaps from the fact that they, dur
ing their supremacy, encouraged the
use Of the developed resources they
found existing on their first entrance
into the country.
The mucll-abuscd Mormons, banish-
ed from the Western Statcs, sought
refuge in the arid and raiulcss Salt
Lake valley; and, using small
amount of engineering brains, con-
structcd canals and bitches, and con-
vcrtcd this desert into fruitful garden,
yielding immense crops Of grain and
covered with Il rich sward of grass
that sltstains immense herds Of the
finest cattle. We can but look on their
agricultural success with amaZcmcnt.
BY mcan, of irrigation alone they can
live and support their rapidly incrcas-
ing population.
The people Of some Of the adjoining
States have taken pattern after the
MormonS, and already thousands of
acres III some Of these States, once
barren from want of rainfall, have
been made fertile by means of irriga-
ton. (Scc recent Reports Of the De-
partmcnts Of Agricultural In several
Of tho reports referred to, arc graphic
descriptions of canals cut for the purpose
of conveying water fifteen to twenty
five miles i'll length. Some Of these
convey creeks and are the property of
incorporated water companies, who
sell the water to the farmers on their
lines at so much per foot Of vent OPEN
ings.
Streams Of water have in those same
States been conveyed u similar dis
tance over hills and ravincs for sluicc
mining, that is to be used in Washing
down hills to obtain gold. Now, were
equivalent amounts of water conveyed
and used for farming purposes, the
profits arising thcrctrom would far
exceed the returns from the gold
washings. When the gold is washed
out and the hill washed down, the
work is done. But the stream, once
conducted for farm purposes, will pay
its dividend till the end of. time.
In our own State little has been done
in the way Of irrigation, except on the
rice lands principally of the tide belt.
These nre flowed by the rise and fall
of the tide, regulated by trunks, and
the writer has often been surprised
that these lands were not winter crop
ped with oats, sOwn as soon rs the
rice crop was removed. BY the free
use Of fertilizers and water these win
ter crops would be us profitable as tho
rice crop.
Fine natural advantages exist to
irrigatc much OF the country from the
tide belt to the foot Oft fllls; and
MANY STREAMS IN THIS BELT
afford ncvcr-tuiling supply of water.
The cost of constructing water mains
would be comparatively little in this
region.
From the foot Of the falls to the foot
OF tho mountains there are thousands
of acres that can be ovcrflowcd. The
construction Of mains is here more
costly. and requires more engineering
skill. Froln the turbid streams of the
high lards We would not only get wa
ter to increase production but this
water would hold in solution, mineral
ana vegetable matter, serving to eli
rich the lands. The water of this belt
would thus be more valuable than that
of the middle, but perhaps not more
valuable than that Of the tide region.
10 take up n stream and divert it
from its channel OH an extensive scale
is the work of the engineer. But there
is one method that docs not require u
Vas! amount Of engineering skill. We
know from practical experience that
the mains should not have fall of
over ono to four inches per mile. At
the head Of such main should be q
carefully constructed lock or gate to
regulate the amount of water flowing
into it. Such mains should be wide
rather than deep. Have ovcr.bank
wastes of rock or wood to throw off
accumulating surplus rain water at
proper distances.
From The mains, branch mains and
service bitches must be constructed,
and the latter arranged to throw out
the water as desired.
The water can be supplied in two
ways, either by broadcast flooding
which if done should be cxpeditiousIy
executed and over ut oncc-or bv
sluicing or running through burrows.
The latter plan would perhaps be the
cheapest and best for most purposes.
The mains and service ditchcs, once
constructed, the levels of tho lands to
be flowed can be determined, staked
and marked, and once done properly
it is arranged forever, aud without
further cost. Such would be the
process of q general system of irriga-
ton which reached beyond the lands
Of single proprictor--which is not
likely soon, if ever, to be practiscd
here.
Every farm, though, Of q few hun
drcd acres has on it Il limited amount
Of land, perhaps from 2 to 10 per cent, ,
that can be irrigated, and such can be
done by the proprietor ut no great
outlay of money or labor. BY the use
of q small stream of water and good
manuring, Dr.. Parker made in the
suburbs Of Columbia 2l2 bushels Of
corn on one acre. Many of our readers
have seen this land.
Now every ono horSo farm IA any