, 1889-02-20
length, will make the totals rath-
er below than above the truth:
10. DItches Length Cap

Totals.-.i,18 5,08 2i,sa i,90,I4s
The records of johnson county
include Sheridan, of Laramie and
Albany, Converse. The records
of Sweetwater are incomplete.
In connection with the terri
torial engineers Office a territorial
weather service has been estab-
lished, the signal service bureau
furnishing the instruments. Five
stations have been established in
as many agricultural districts. AT
these observations of temperature
and rainfall are made.
While the records do not show
it, over 1000 bitches have been
completed in this territory. They
water an area equal to the whole
of the irrigated district OF France
and Spain combined and one-half
that of Italy. They are distribut-
ed throughout a region almost as
large as the whole of New Eng
land.
In calling attention to features
of our irrigation which need leg
islative revision the engineer has
been more mindful of the de-
mands of the future than of the
disadvantages of the present. The
subject of comprehensive irriga-
ton Legislation will be n of the
most important to engage the at
tention of the next legislative
assembly.
The future development of our
agricultural interests is certain to
be rapid and important. AS it is,
with our agricultural system
scarcely established, we have
enough lands under bitches and
ready for the pillow to make 100000
eighty acre farms and to engage
the efforts of a purely agricultural
population of more than twice the
number of all the people now in
the territory. Many of these
bitches have been built under ex-
c%eptionally unfavorable condi-
tions. The best watered and
most extensive agricultural dis
tricts are in the central and north
ern portions of the territory, and
until within the past two years all
the materials and implements re-
quired in the construction of
bitches, together with a large
part of the provisions for men
and teams, had to be hauled from
stations on the Union Pacific,
which traverses the southern Dor
der.
The transportation by wagon.
of all this material for distances
varying from 100 to 300 miles al
most doubled the cost of the work
and materially lessened the pro-
spect OF profitable returns. So,
also, the remoteness of a staple
market and the difficulty and ex-
pense of obtaining the conven-
fences of life have been serious
drawbacks to many of our pionee.
farmers. Where it required a
three weeks journey to secure a
pillow, as it did until recently,
there was not much blowing done.
The territory still suffers from
the lack of adequate railway facil-
tiles. There is a surplus of agri-
cultural products in the north
for which there is a ready mar
ket and good prices in the south.
The completion of railways pro-
jected to bring these sections to-
gether will result in increased
prosperity for both.
In the counties of Johnson and
Sheridan alone, the surplus waters
of the streams gagged by me this
season would irrigate 100000
acres, and l am reliably informed
there is double that extent ofland
susceptible of being watered.
Were it necessary other ~illustra-
tons of the same character could
be given. 1t is certain that agri-
culture is destined to be one of
the territory's material interests,
and tho p~arfaofion Of tho method,