The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-23
Irrigation for the South.

For long time we have been hammer
ing away in favor of a resort to irrigation
by the soil culturalisus of the southern
states where such a thing is practicable,
and particularly for that broad expanse of
our sectionlying adjacent to the Gulf of Mex
leo, and now quite generally spoken of as
the coast belt, says the Mobile Register. The
idea of such things being highly advant-
ageous is rapidly gaining ground, not from
the thought OF any existing necessity on &C
count of comparatively scant rainfall, fer
our annual rainfall is above the average,
but because tests made, with careful
study of tne subject generally, carries con-
viction that water-supply to crops entirely
under the culturist's control, would enable
him to produce crops far heavier than the
present best, and at a cost, all things consid-
cred, much below what even his lighter
crops are now costing him In word it is
becoming plain that irrigation prosecuted
under some complete system, would convert
the lower south into a region very similar
to California so far as relates to productive
ness.
Florida is now spiritedly wheeling into
line in favor of irrigation. Her advocates
of the system have started late compared
to its advocacy in Southern Alabama, but
they are terribly in earnest, and when a
Florida man ''W ills he will" Florida works
fast, and hence it would scarcely be unsafe
to predict that Florida will henceforward
lead the van in the matter of artificial
water supply in agriculture for the south
ern states
The depth of Florida's present interest in
irrigation has caused the proprietor of that
able and leading publication, the Florida
AgTiculturaIiSt, to get out special irriga
ton issue OVERLOOKING with valuable infor-
nation on the subject. Tho following para
graphs clipped here and there from the
various articles appearing in it will be
found worthy of careful reading:
There is abundant evidence that the
farmers are at last wide awake on the sub
ject of irrigation, and the details of the
| practice and the results of such attempts as
have already been made are awaited with
eager interest.
In Florida there is no doubt that the steam
pump will in most cases be the means used
to put the water where it is wanted rather
| than gravity. The sources of supply will
vary greatly. In all cases where lands to be
| irrigated lie contiguous to lakes, ponds and
| permanent streams these naturally will fur
nish the supply; but the next questiol will
arise, at what distance from such natural
sour, es will it be cheaper to rely upon
wells? \ One of the
greatest drawbacks to the rapid and sue
| cessful development of irrigation works
will grow out of ill-advised and amateurish
attempts made without professional aid and
with the insane idea of saving small per
centage of the cost of the works that would
be required as a fee. No greater mis- AXE
could be made than to dispense with COM
petent expert advice. For time it might
no0 always be very easy to get it, but in this
day of educated engineers the want would
soon be met. A knowledge Of what would
constitute good and successful practice
| would speedily become known to the pro-
fession, and as a reSult-instead of blind
| cropping and endless varieties of schemes
and plans, all more or less perfect-order,
uniformity and success would be quickly
established. - William E. Armstrong, Civil
Engineer.
While we boast bountiful rainfall, yet
this not evenly distributed throughout the
| year; it is apt to be too much at one season
| and none at all at others. If it was other
wise, perhaps twice the quantity of fruits,
vegetables and root crops could be pro-
duced yearly. We all know what promises
of bountiful yield every bearing tree or
vine gives in the spring. and also how often
these promises are broken, and that much
of the young fruit falls off because the
fountains of mother earth dry up. We all
! know that no end to vegetables and sweet
potatoes must be left implanted for lack of
moisture in the soil at planting time The
planter scans the cluodless sky and signs;
he wishes he could take his parched plat ia
! his hands like flower pot and hold it I'M
der water until it was soaked through; he
wishes he could irrigate, but generally that
subject is shrouded in mystery, and the
"nov is it doneF' "what does it costw and
the ''buts," why's" aud so on, get tangled
and trip each other up IN his mind until he
gives up tneproblem in despair. =
| It is plain that bountiful supply of water