Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-07
NEW SOURCE OF WEALTH.
Irrigation in the Yves General Brisbin De
ssribes Wonderful Results OF Iersga alton
New York Tribune.

sSrtDes Wonoer1ul Results OF Irrigation
New York Tribune.
SIR-There is a new source of wealth
growing up in our country almost unob-
served but colossal in its nature and ex-
tent. mean the owning Of water in the
streams and rivers. Formerly only the
land was considered valuable, but now in
many parts OF the country the ownership
of land without water is of little account.
If one man owns the land and another the
water, the man who owns the water has
the best OF it and has the other fellow at
his mercy. The great system of irrigat-
ing lands in dry sections for crops is as
yet in its infancy, but wherever tried it
has done we'll and irrigsting bitches have
yielded 8 large return to the investors in
them.
Most of the largest bitches are in Col
orsdo where $4,000 acres of land are
subject to irrigation. OF this vast body
less than 800 600 acres have been irri-
gated, leaving 100000 to be watered
yet. Tie canals in course of construc.
tid&will water about 100000 OF the
$500, 600 acres. This is enormous when
We consider that the whole system OF ir-
rigation has grown up almost within the
past five years. The San Louis Park
Canal, watering 100000 acres; State
Land Canal, 1000 acres; Citizens
Canal, ITO, 900 acres; and Del Norte and
Suguache Canal, 10000 acres, may be
mentioned IS among the most successful
Colorado bitches. These three canals
cover loo, 900 acres OF government land,
100000 acres of patented land, and 1907
900 acres of state Land. They will fur
Dish homts for between 5000 and 1000
farmers. The wster for the canals is
taken from the Rio Grande river near the
town Of Del Norte. The largest canal is
l20 feet wide at its head and gradually
narroWs down to twelve feet. Its depth
varies from two to SIX feet: 1t has, when
fall, capacity for watering 400, 900 acres
of land.
How do they make irrigating canals2
Easy enough and quite rapidly. First is
the construction Of the main canal. The
water is taken from river or creek, the
supply being regulated by q headgate.
The canal may be ten, twenty or fifty feet
wide, and one, five or ten feet deep, &C
cordlDg to the volume of water desired.
Generally the canals are wide and shallow
like creek. Indeed, they are merely
artificial creeks, and when grass grown
and planted with trees along their banks
are hard to tell from the natural streams.
A fAvora3le place for tapping the river or
creek having been found, the canal is car
ried forward to the high grounds. 1t is
generally given about half the fail of the
river or creek, SO 1t soon reaches an ele-
Walton far above the natural stream, and
has the lands between 1t and the
stream below its waters. At in
tervsls, as needed, small canals are
taken out and carried to the farms.
Each lateral has a heGdgste and measure
for the water. The laterals are built so
IS to cover the greatest number of farms.
At certain distances sub -letersls are
taxed out from the main later.ls and
these suo-lsterals too have headgates and
water measures. The sub lsterals are
used by individual farmers. II before
blowing time there has been rain enough
to soften the ground the farmer does not
resort to his ditch, but II the season is
dry he opens his hsadgste and ssturates
the ground. The seeding Is then done. |
Ten acres is about the allowance Of land |
that csn be irrigated in one day per man.
Unless water is very plentiful farmers are |
limited to eighty acres each to be irriga-
ted in one season, but this does not in
clude grass lands.
AlL6L GhS SAOPo Wy LuGy are lrrl- |
gated or simply flooded. The quantity of
wster put on is about equal to what
would fsll in three days. steady rain
When the crop is haf grown it is irri-
gated sg.in. Two irrigations are consid |
cred enough for crop in season unless
the weather is very hot and dry, and then
three irrigations may be put on. 1t will
thus be seen that every farmer holds IN
his own hands the means of making q
crop when he has irrigating bitches.
Root crops can always be kept moist, |
and require five or ten times Is much |
water as cereals. The expense of irriga-
ton compared with the benefits derived |
is yery slight. Irrigation about doubles
crops, and the cost of the water is never
over 81 per acre, and often as low as so |
cents per acre per snnum. Forty aud
fifty bushels Of wheat per .cre are often
laised under irrigation. Potatoes fire.
quently grow to FIVE pounds and yield 25O
10 500 bushels per acre. Other root crops
Yield equslly well, and barley viii yield
forty bushels per acre and oats