Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-20
STEWART ON IRRIGATION.


The Nevada Senator Talks to the Port
land People.
Senator William NJ. Stewart of Nevada,
member of the United States Senate Conn.,
mittee on Irrigation and Reclamation of
Arid Lands, addressed the people of PORT
land, Or, on the evening of the 14th. We
clip the following from the Oregonians re-
port of his remarks:
Irrigation was by no means new subject.
enator Stewart sgd. Nearly all the ancient
yet by means OF Irrigation they made them
bloom with yerdure. Egypt, Palestine India,
in fact, nearly all of Asia and large part of
those lands, and thus provided sustenance fer a
large population. The remains of irrigation
works constructed By them show that they were
models Tor IN. dern imitation One of the recent
discoveries of that class in Egypt, which is said
by scientists to be 5000 year, Old is of the most
felicltous design and wonderful perfection of
workmanship.
FACT NOT GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD.
1t is a fact not generally understood, contin-
ued the Senator. that al the present day irriga-
ton is resorted to by other nations than ours for
the purpose OF increasing the yield from the
soil. In fact, there are countries that would
nave to be entirely abandoned were it not for
irrigation. Such is the case with Japan whose
people, fortunately for them, know how much
their soil is dependent water for its fertility
The japanese use every foot of the SOIL irrigat-
ing even comparatively steep hlllsides and SO
arranging their crops in terraces as that the sur.
plus water from the upper fertiizes the terraces
below. as it trickles down the slope. In this
way the greatest possible economy is secured in
the use OF the water.
Ceylon is another illustration of extensive ir.
rigation. without which its lands would be
practically valueless. The English Government
is now reviviDg much of the irrigation of the
ancleQtS. both in favl0D and N Ind
| thirty hye years it has been prosecuting great
system OF water extension In India. In that
period so manifest have been the advantages
derived from irrigation that the Government mas
found 1t wise to go on with the work until il has
expended. all together, $50, 100000.
In Germany, France, spain, Italy and even
England, irrigation has been resorted to, and
that 10 very large extent; 80 that, remarkable
as 1t may seem. il is fact that by far the larger
part of the agricultural yield of the world is
to-day produced by irrigation.
We have ], 10000 square miles west of the one
hundredth meridian, OF which very much the
! larger proportion needs irrigation. What i'm
mense agricultural resources lie within the
compass OF that area. Is it TO be supposed that
with our rapidly increasing population, and
with the natural enterprise and treless actiy-
ity OF our people, we are to allow this great re-
gion TO remain the waste that 1t is?
1t is a fact well recognized among those fa-
millar with the subject that wherever in the
arid region water is aitificiaIly applied to the
soil there is secured az least twice the product
dependent for its moisture upon rainfall alone.
MODERN scIES;E HAS DEMONSTRATED
That water stored in ponds collects large quan.
titles of organic matter which becomes food for
plant life, SO that at every moment of its flow
the water is depositing in the soil infiuitesimal
particles OF mat er which noursh and fructify
II. This is feature of irrigation whose i'm
portance can not be overestimated Instead
of draining the soil of its nutrition and carry
ing 1t away, as in many cases rainfall does, this
system is daily and hourly fertilizer
AT the first session OF the last Congress- Sena-
tor Stewart continued, an Act was passed re-
serving as an inalienable psrt of the public
domain all lands that are suitable for reser-
voirs. One hundred thousand dollars was sp-
propriated for the purpose of making surveys
TO discover and mark out the boundary of such
places. At the last session S250OG0 was appto-
priated Tor The same purpose. 1t is well-known
that on nearly all our mountain ridges there are
lake spaces in large numbers. in which water
lodges all the year round By comparatively
slight expense that is TO say, by slight in COM
2arlson with the benefits to be conferred, these
spaces can be turned into reservoirs for the
storage Of water, which, by the use of a proper
system of gates, could be let down into the val
legs during the season of growing crops
GOVERNMENT SURVEYS NECESSARY.
nent should make an exhaustive survey, find
all the plsces where water can be stored or
bitches dug, and make detailed maps of these
districts, with careful estimates of the expense
| of such irrigating improvements as may be best
adapted TO the particular section AlthouP b
| these surveys might cost money, they would
constitute he said, great work for the enlighfen-
Inent and guidance of the people, and were
| werthy of whatever expenditure might be
| necessary. They would instruct the people how
70 utlize the water that was now running te
waste from the hills and mountains all around
| them,