Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-21

ARhlUbby Ddlk anu lAOAei WIN 1esAN eA~N
gravel. It developed a subterranesn
Stream 40 feet wide and 16 feet deep.
Unfortunately, through some fault in
construction, the dam was unable to re-
tain the water, and was used but few
weeks after its completion, last year.
Several sub-irrigatipg systems have
been constructed. They consist of CO.
ment pipes of the smaller dimensions,
laid at a depth below the deepest plow-
irg, along the line of trees, with short
branch running to each tree. The piping
cannot endure much pressure, and re
ouires to be laid nearly level. The ends
of the branches are perforated to ADMIT
flow of the water into the earth about
the roots of the trees. By a patent pro-
cess a continuous pipe is laid at the re-
auired depth. Sub-irrigation requires
much less water. and no surface work
but cultivation. 1t discourages the
growth of weeds, and prevents the hard
enipg of the ground about the trees. AS
at present applied, however, it does not
uniformly moisten the earth enclosing
the roots, and is not regarded as a COM
plete success.
FACILITIES FOR STORAGE,
There is q difference of opinion among
engineers. Some think there are many
basins and cafions in the mountains
which are adapted to the purpose, and
others think these on most streams are
wanting. Most, however, agree that the
external bench lands furnish abundant
opportunities for the construction of res
ervoirs. The storage of waters in the
cafions may be effected by throwing
dams, at favorable places, across the
mouths of such caflons or basins as have
the least wash and afford the largest ca
pacity, and possibly leading the water
into them from adjacent streams.
The reservoirs on the bench lands
may be constructed by excavations at,
usually, much less expense than those in
the cailons, and be of much safer char
acter. They would not, however, be
able to deliver their waters at so high an
elevation, and would leave considerable
land to be supplied from other
sources. The filling of such res
ervoirs is effected by piping, huming
or ditching from the upper waters
of the streams. There are a num-
/ ber OF reservoirs of both kinds,
finished and in course OF construction OF
capacity varying from few thousand
| to billion gallons. One on Mormon
creek, in the rim of the San Fernando
basin, is more than the latter capacity.
Suffice it to say there is no lack of facil-
tiles for the storage OF water with safety
and profit. The first expense, however,
is very great, and private enterprise is
not ready to undertake it on 80 large a
scale, except in most favorable localities.
The waters of the San Gabriel river,
brought out upon the higher hill lands OF
the Azusa or Duarte, would suffice to ir-
rigate all the great valley below, the
coast plain beyond and the intervening
range of hills to their very tops. The
waters of Millard canon and the Arroyo
Seco, stored in the vicinity OF the Gid
dings ranch or the lands OF John Browns
sons or other available places, could be
made to flow over the San Rafael hills,
and those in and adjoining East Los An
geles. So with the San Dimas and the
streams of Saw Pit, Santa Anita, Eaton,
Tejunga, Pacoima, San Fernando, Nor
mon creek, Verdugo and Santiago
whose flow in tie aggregate is enough to
supply all the lands between them and
the ocean ms any times over. Also, over
the range, in the hitherto regarded ire
deemable desert of the Mojave, where
most Of the
LAND BELONGS TO THE GOVERNMENT,
And the soil is as rich as lies under the
sun, whole townships of the finest raisin
grape, fig and deciduous fruit land may
be irrigated by the waters of the Mojsve,
Big and Little Rock creeks, Oak creek,
and some others, most of which chow
surface water only in the rainy season,
if those waters are husbanded, as there
are abundant facilities for doing.
And in the Newhall region, the Santa
Clara, the San Francisquito and the Cas-
tao, may be made to vastly increase the
productiveness of the valley and the
wealth of the county. But the cost of
any one of these works would be very
great, and capital is worth too large rate
per cent. or has too many risks to run,
which the State or General Government
is not subjected to, to undertake them.
THE NUMBER OF IRRIGABLE ACRES
In the two counties is about 5000.
That is, that number of acres can be
irrigated under the present facilities, if
capacity. The number of acres of good
land which fequires irrigation is, south
Of the mountains, according to the State
bDElH66I cstlIudtcJ tOO oOO' Noith vi
the Sierra Madre range, Los Angeles
county shares with Kern and San Ber-
nardino in the great Moiave desert, So
called This desolate region contains
many thousand square miles. In these
three counties, one half of this is
probably arid beyond redemption, one
half of the remainder is too rough and
mountainous to be valuable for cultiva-
tiop, but the remainder is mostly highly
fertile soil, lying favorably for the appli-
cation Of water.
OF this vast territory, Los Angeles pos
sesees $50 900 acres, which can be made
to comfortably sustain a population of
100000 people. Of piece with the
quarter of million acres in Los Angeles
county are hundreds of thousands OF
acres of equally favorable lands in San
Bernardino and Kern counties.
THE FACILITIES FOR IRRIGATING
This vast tract have never yet been care
fully investigated. Our State Legislat.
ure has been too niggardly to provide
State Engineer Hall with the means for
the work. The value of the statistics on the
subject OF irrigation which MIR. Hall has
compiled, and the ether information
which he furnishes in his report, cannot
be over-estimated. 1t was a great mis-
take to fail to provide for the officer and
the Office for the year 1889.
Judge R. M. Widney, large land
owner in that region, states that the
lowest summer flow of the Mojave river
ie q hout < 000 irchao Tho ouaraua fOw