The Wilmingtonian., 1888-01-14
SATURDAY JASUAHY.ls, 1855.
Advantage .s or Irrigation.

Tho advantages of controlling the rainfall |
are many and manifest. No mud to prevent
early plowing and planting; no danger Of
drouth to curtail the harvest. Experience |
proves that amount of water needed during |
cropping season rhen irrigation il required
10 equivalent to thirty inches deep upon the
land II all applied at once; or that one cubic
foot per second flowing night and day for
100 days will irrigats eighty acres Of land.
In Colorado the rainfall seldom sxoeeds
fourteen inches during the year, which
amount being insufficient to secure the
growth of graia, irrigation mast be
rssortsd to. BY the construction Of
large canals, with reservoirs and lstsrsls,
the water 10 easily conducted from the rap
idly running mountain streams and torrents
out through the. valleys and parks aud over
tho lands. The main canal is taken out high
enough up the stream to secure the requisite
fall and convey the water out along the
high lands, From this main channel later
ais are taken out at convenient distances,
while from these burrows are run to divert
the water to any desired direction. Thus
the certainty Of rsisiug crop makes irrigs-
tion reliable method; moisture Is applied
just when and whore needed, and will insure
haIysst generally ar"above the average
where Nature is depsnded upon in fact the
mountain farmer can calculate almost to
certainty the number of bushels per scre his
harvest will bring. Not only this, but it
has bcsn demonstrated that the water Sc
cured from sths high mountains contains a
natural fertilizer peculiar to its-sslf, which
constantly enriches tho soil, rendering the
ordinary fertilizer unnecessary. The qualify
ofgrsin, vegetables and fruit produced by
this system of farming is acknowledged to
be superior, and average yield per acre is
better than in the "raiuy states"
Previous ia 1870, no farming wac attempt
sdin Colsrado save immed:stly along the
rivers in the narrow valley. Few crops
were raised and the aspect of the country
continued as dreaIy as when first trsvored.
Ia thst.:yesr the Union Colony, under the
patronage of Horace Greely, SETTLED on the
Cache la Poudre, and to-day the the town
of.Gresley Is like typical New England
village-quaint quiet and enbowered in
trees. other ..colinies were formed, each
digging its own bitches and meeting with
varying suseess. In the Last few years the
Irrlgating facilities have been supplied for
the most part by corporations who look for
their profit to sale of water. Sometimes
they own the land watsred, as we'll; immense
canals, watering thousands of acres, have
been constructed, and foreign capital thus
invested has given big returns, The aggre-
gate length Of irrigating canals in Colorado
Is something like 1000 miles, and the land,
according to theory, capable OF being water
oil by these canals u some 1900, 600 acres.
Investigations made lately tend to
prove that 40 per cent. of the water taken
from various rivers, retsrns again through
spring, rivulsts, and seepage, and this being
true, increases the area covered by the same
per cent. In addition to streams a vast sys-
tenn OF reseroir is ia progress. The cost Of
wAter for season is generally $3.50 to o. 90
per acre. AS to the crops themselves, tho
yields are often surprisingly large. Wheat
sometimes turns of fifty bushels to the acre
and is ranked as the best raised in the Unit
cd States, 1t is particularly adapted to the
making of fno -four. Potatoes average $50
bushels. Vegetables grow to great zs,
but lose nothing In favor Grapes, straw
b,rries and small fruits in general flourish
Peas, apples and peaches are successfully
raised, and this is already more than experi--
ment As for profits, alfalfa is coming stead
lily to the front. It seems to possess fatter.
ing qualities equal to corn, and two or thre.
Nrops can be produced off of the same fold
during ono season. A few figures will serve
la show:that mnch money SEM out Of Color
ado could stay here II more attention was
paid to farming and kindred industries. It
is sstimated that $50, 900 is sent to other
states annually for cats, for poultry and eggs
100000, green froits $500, 900, dried $780,
900. corn 1850, 900, vegetables s250O0 laid
t55O,oco aud butter q, 100000. With the
single exception Of corn, all this should be
raised in Coloraoo aud surplus Of some
lines shipped out. There is still good
land to be taken up ander the United States
laws in the southern and western portions of
the State, the cost being about $3.50 for pre-
emption and Necessary improvements on 100 |
acres. Timber claims are much cheaper.
Every acre in San Luis Park, Including the
Government land, is practically covered by |
canals. And the companies guarantee as
cheap water for Cover neut land as fot the
land owned and sold by the canal &C npanies.
Fifty years ego farming was conducted by
muscular power. Had the farmers OF Color
Ido been conFsllSd ito borTess thsir grain