Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-08-24
IRRIGATION IN THE FAR WEST,


From the western Kansas and Ne
braska line to the Pacific there stretches
Il vast region OF 100000 square miles,
broken into mountains, valleys and arid
plains. 1t does not seem to be lant
lor the farmer, excepting in the rich
valleys of California, Oregon and the
Great Salt lake, and agriculture has made
its way but slowly. 1t was long supposed
that very little OF that country would be
available for husbandry, but the intro
duction Of irrigation cauaed Il great
change. For may years this species OF
fertilization was confined to the private
efforts OF and owners in California and
New Mexico, but under its iructiiying
influence the southern part OF the former
has become vast garden OF flowers and
orange trees. 1t has been tried to a small
extent in Arizona, Colorado and tab,
aud wherever the Iifo-glvlng streams
have been led the result has equalcd all
the hopes OF the cXperjmenters.
Probably New Mexico Arizona, Nevada,
Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and
Idaho will vet bccoNc great agriculture
states The United states government is
turning its serious attention to the Ques-
ton Of irrigation in those regions, and
promises to make extensive topographic
surveys. Americans have talent for
civil engineering, and they could ask no
finer opportunity for the display Of their
talents than in solving the problem OF
irrigation in the land including and be-
yond the Rockies. That immense regions
can be turned into an endless succession
Of fertile fields by this method the history
of ancient cities, whose ruins are no"
surrounded bv deserts, ConClusirely proves
to us.
The plan proposed by Major j. W.
Powell, director of the geological survey
bureau, Gorcontinuing the irrigation survey
Of arid lands has met the ott.c approval
Of Sec. Noble, and quarter OF million
dollars has been appropriated for the
work, which is to be prosecuted in Mon
tana, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Ne
vada, Arizona and California. In Mon
tuna q special examination will be made
of the possibilities Of irrigation in the
Galatin, Madison and jefferson valleys,
and along the Yellowstone and Milk
rivers. In Colorado the work will be
chiefly on the headWaters OF the Arkan-
sas. In New Mexico there will be spe-
cia study of the proposal to build dam
at Ell Paso and to construct canals for the
purpose of irrigating the Mesiila valley,
Work will also be done in Idaho, Nevada
and eastern California. Some effort has
already been made in Nevada, and upon
irrigation the whole future OF that state
depends.
Ii general system of irrigation in the
west furnishes the tine results hoped, il
! will be q great thing for the entire Coun-
try, since it will add fully 30 per cent to
our arabic land and will furnish a hardy
and active population. When men are
| forced to overcome great natural Obstac e>
| in order that their soil may furnish then
sustenance, they find it necessary to be
! brave, intelligent and Industrious, as the
example of Holland uniailingly indicates
| The west is not the only country witt
/ such problem to solve. In Australia
/ the whole future of the country depend,
upon the certain conservation Of q water
supply; for there, during the dry season
! botl man and beast suffer. Toward set
Ting their difficulty they have not made
rs much progress as we tow ard ours, bu
with both Americans and English seek
ing the same end, its satisfactory accom-
plishment shonld not be long delayed.
Throughout all the vast region OF tn
United States We nave mentioned tn
lily land which can be successfully cul
ii, aled without irrigation consists OF
portion OF California, the Wil!amett
valley il Oregon, parts in WASHINGTON
the parks Of Colorado, and some OF tn
Montala valleys. OF course, there al
small sections to be excepted, but thes
are 100 unimportant to be described
The MeXicans very early employed irri
cation in New Mexico, and raised fin
crops there, but their engineering was S
rude that it can offer little assistanc
to American effort. In this territory al,
Arizona. owing to the nature OF the so
and the conformation of its surface, tn
, demand for irrigation will be more eXten
sire than elsewhere, and 1t has alread
made some progress there.
II the money appropriated by the gov
ernnent is not wasted, as so frequent
occurs, great work may be accomplished
, and the inhabitants OF the far wester
states and territories will not fail to tax
the deepest interest in its progress. A
= though we have explored all parts OF tn
country beyond the Rockies, it has file
with people very slowly, except i'll Cal
fornia during the gold excitement. Til
plains were crossed by emigrant train
forty years ago, and few OF the territories
with the great advantage of railroads rur
ming through them, yet have 100000 il
habitants. Thirty years after Dani,
=, Boone entered it. Kentucky had Il quartz
of million people.
There were no railroads then eithe
: ana it was dangerous journey OF weel
p and weeks from the Atlantic states throug
! the forests and among the Indians
= Kentucky, but there were rich farm
s awaiting those journeymen here. In OF
a decade nearly million emigrants, MOI
f than one-third of the entire populatio
now west of the Rockies eastern slop
. entered Illinois. In almost equal nun
bers they poured into Michigan, Missouri
Iowa and Kansas, but We have new
d seen anything like it in the far west, an
9 we will never see anything approachir
, it, until system Of irrigation certain al
u complete makes the farmers calling pre-
= liable there.
j., ea.-a....-sssn7.~
Y THE grand jury did not find time to i