Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-09-20
THE HERALD.
PHILLIPSBURG. KANSAS.
Irrigation in Western Kansas.
AgriculturaI college Industrialist.


Agricultural College Industrialist.
The following letter from Senator
Plumb, IN reply to a letter enclosing
a copy Of the report published last
week, is explicit and emphatic. The
conclusion is essentially the same as
that which the committee sent by the
board of Regents formed, and tried
to impress upon the farmers
OF the western counties, that
adjustment of the agriculture to the
actual conditions of nature affords
the only immediate, if not the final,
relief from drowth in midsummer.
The station has already undertaken
experiments in the growth Of the
grain and fodder plants, including
a variety of sorghums, best suited to
resist dry weather, and will add
still further efforts. The farmers
themselves must put their energetic
ingenuity at the same work, and
meanwhile must make the best pos
sible use Of the means at hand, even
in the buffalo grass they wish to sup
plant with a more thrifty vegeta-
ton. They may be assured that
help, if available, will come all
the sooner for their efforts to escape
the need:
HELENA, MONTANA, August 6, 1889.
Geo. T. Fairchild, ESQ, Manhat-
tan, Kansas.
Dear Sir:-I am in receipt Of your
favor of the 25th ult., covering q copy
of a letter to Senator Stewart,
chairman of committee on irrigation.
That there is great need of in
creased water supply in the western
third Of Kansas, there can be no
doubt; that is to say, If agriculture,
as practiced in the eastern part of
the State, is to be carried on. The
question as to how this water is to be
secured, if at all, is one of great i'm
portance.
The State of Colorado has by its
constitution appropriated all the
water which flows in all streams in
that State. Good lawyers assure me
that this appropriation is legal,
and if it be so then, of course, no
water can ever be derived for West
ern Kansas from the streams that
flow through Colorado, until the
Colorado people have been fully sup
piled.
It is possible, and perhaps even
probable, that a moderate supply
may be obtained by the subterra-
mean flow in the channels of the
Arkansas and Smoky Hill rivers.
Even if the water supply can be
had the question still remains as to
whether the government should en-
gage in furnishing it, or whether it
should be left to private capital and
enterprise. There is much to be
said on both sides; but at all events
it is due to candOr that I say that
no immediate relief is likely to be
had; and it will take some time, and
I fear some years, before any prac-
teal result to Western Kansas can
come from the Investigations to be
carried on by the committee.
had no desire to serve on this
committee, and only accepted it
with great reluctance because OF
the interest I knew the subject had
for the people of Western Kan
sas, whom L am constrained by duty
as we'll as by sentiment to serve in all
proper ways.
shall hope that before the com
mittee concludes its investi cations
some way may be opened whereby
the necessary water supply for tn,
section under consideration may b.
secured. Truly yours,
PRESTON B. PLUMB.
Hon. S. D. Decker, one of the repub