Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-21

the irrigating season. The number of
irrigations is from one to three or four
month, according to the crop, the nature
of the soil, the moisture otherwise fur
nished, the supply OF water, or the notion
of the irrigator. The amount Of water
supplied depends upon the same contin-
gencies. The water is measured by
inches or heads, one inch being the
amount that will flow through an inch
square orifce under four.inch pressure.
The head, nominally, is 100 inches. The
run is for any number of hours and, TO
agreement, usually from twelve to
twenty four. The irrigating season is
ordinarily about three months-thoee OF
July, August and September.
A man is employed to turn the water
to each irrigator as his time comes. This
man is called "zsniero" as the ditch
in Spanish is called "zanja." He re-
ceives from 81 to 81 80 per day for the
season. The cost per acre is from 80
cents to 81. so for the year, which covers
all expenses. Many of the open bitches
are injured during the rainy season and
a great deal of ditch repairing is required
at the beginning of the dry season. The
pipe syst ms escape this and the draw
backs which attend the old crude methods
of the first settlers.
The average rainfall of the region is
about twelve inches, running from a
light precipitation near the coast to
copious one in the mountains and foot
hills, though different parts of both To-
calities are more or less differently
favored. There have been no drouths
for ten years, but drouths can
have no such effect upon the
region as formerly. The people know 30
we'll how to use and husband the moist.
ture that no material damage could be
done to the country by q lack OF rainfall
that did not continue for several seasons.
We have no general failure of crops, and
every year makes assurance doubly sure
that it can never occur again. We hear
of the failure of crops three years out o.
five in the eastern States. Such disasters
do not occur in an irrigated country.
Here the farmers fortune is en-
tirely under his control. There
"the act of Providence" keeps his
nose to the grindstone, and finally
closes him out and sends him west or o
the poorhouse. The news comes to me
of a rural population, which | know
NclAy WulCh 10 hilhOCu phhhiuPt, a fSoui'
of five years of successive drouths. Its
have made it rich beyond calculation.
Our unirrigated land is, as a rule, more
worthless than theirs; our irrigated land
is worth ten times as much, it is safe to
say. The value, of course, lies in the
water.
THE AVERAGE VALUE
Of the product of unirrigated land is not
more than one tenth that OF irrigated.
The difference in the Uariety of crops pos
sible to raise, and in the capacity of the
two kinds of land to sustain population,
is quite as great. The improvement in
the character of the population is as
marked as in numbers; intelligence and
energy distinguish the new occupants oi
this country from the old
With regard to the practical knowledge
of irrigation, there ia probably no field
in the world where it is more exhaustive
than in these two counties. 1t has been
applied here for more than hundred
years, and has gradually grown from the
simple method of the Spanish. American
settlers to the most elaborate Of modern
systems.
These counties have, probably, more
land under actual irrigation, and a greater
variety of crops thus cultivated, than all
the rest of the United States. The field
is so favorable for examination, compared
with others, that more can be shown
within given time than in any other
region, ten times over; in fact, no such
knowledge of the subject can be gained
by visiting all the other localities as by
examining this one comparatively small
section of country.
1t is hoped that the Senate Committee
on Arid Lands will take advantage of the
opportunity here offered to acquaint
themselves with the practice and results
Of irrigation.
The opinions and conclusions here
offered are the result of no hasty con
sideration OF the subject, though the
time allowed has not permitted the prep
aration of an elaborate report. AS many
authorities as possible for the state
ments here given have been con-
suited. 1t is regretted that some of the
best in our counties have not been
reached through repeated efforts were
made to do go. Many of the best of them,
however, were consulted, and the in
debtedness to them is here very cordially
acknowledged.
With the belief that if the statements
herein made are questioned by anyone,
a careful consideration of the language
used, with investigation OF the subject,
will sustain them, l have the honor to
submit this report. +. w. JONES.