Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-24
Irrigation for Texas.

There Is probably no portion OF Texas
whose agriculture might not be vastly
improved py irrigation. We may not
regard irrigation as an absolute necessity
in every case, or even in very many
cases, but IN who have studied the sub
iect Of q regular water supply to eropa
cannot do otherwise than admit that ir-
rigaton would prove highly adVanta-
geous. Texas, taken as q whole, has
the best soil in the world for agricultural
purposes, and as a general rule she has
rainfall sufficient to get along with IN
making her great crops, yet she could
undoubtedly do better with more, or, at
least, with a more even distribution of
moisture throughout the season. No
matter how rich a soil may be its wealth
of plant food cannot be reached by
plants without an abundance of moisture
In the soil. Water is the carriage By
which must be conveyed all plant-food
to plants, consequently when there is
deficiency in moisture there must be
deficiency in the food supply. We say
our crops are perishing for want of rain.
To some extent we are correct, perhaps,
though we might with propriety go
further IN our rendering of the story by
stating that they, through lack of
moisture, are also perishing for want of
food. Directly or indirectly water
governs everything in plant-growth.
In his contribution to the first annual
report of the geological survey of Texas,
MIR. W. Won Streeruwitz. special geolo-
gist to the survey, strongly urges in ia
vor of making every possible arrange
ment for irrigation in Texas, and par
ticularly in Northwestern Texas. Much
of this will probably fall as a dead letter
with not few on account of the COM
mon impression that irrigation is simply
something to be resorted TO only in re-
gions where nothing could be grown
without it. Where such an impression
prevails 1t is wholly the outgrowth of
want of correct information with refer
ence to the matter. While irrigation
must be resorted to in the rainless re-
gions ere crops can be produced. it is
also resorted to in regions with a reason
able amount of rainfall; and in some re-
gions with even a heavy rainfall, where
that rainfall is characterized by irregu-
larity.
We are rather apt to think of irriga-
ton as thing OF some distant country,
but Mr.. StreeruwItz says 1t is something
by no means unknown in America, or
even in the United States, and it is no.
where a new and insufficiently tested
scheme. Irrigation from the waters of
the Nile in Egypt, and from streams in
the East Indias, and from springs and
streamlets in Asia Minor, and from ar
tesian wells in Algiers, all offer proof of
the practicability of the thing, and OF
the great benefits that invariably result.
Irrigation has been practiced in some Of
these countries for thousands of years.
But even nearer home il has been prac-
tioed with enormous results for good, as
in Mexico, New Mexico, Colorado and
California.
Mr.. Streeruwitz might well have add ed
Florida TO his list, where the people are
now deeply interested in irrigation, and
where a considerable acreage of land is
already under the system. The FIori-
dams find it paying handsomely although
the annual rainfall is almost double that
of most portions of Texas, and more than
double that of Northwestern Texas
the region held specially in mind by the
writer.
Mr.. Streeruwitz states that with the
exception of Algiers, irrigation by arte-
sian wells is not carried on to any great
extent; the water is mainly taken from
rivers or small streams. Where taken
from rivers the lands watered are con-
fined to the river bottoms or low grounds
adjacent. In hilly or mountainous re-
gIons, where there is considerable rain
fall at some season of the year, irriga-
ton is sometimes carried on by storage
reservoirs. 1t is rather expensive, and
hence can be resorted TO only where there
is 8 very superior quality of soil to iusti-
~ the outlay.
We may here run in another note made
necessary from Mr.. Streevuwitz' IS evident
lack of information with reference to ir-
rigation in Florida. Generally speaking
Florida is fiat country, consequently
there are few running streams with suf-
flcient fall 10 admit of running them
from their beds by means of dams. On
this account artesian wells are the main
standby. In few cases water is lifted
from streams or lakes by steam power,
but since artesian wells empty their
water Immediately upon the surface they
are found the best, and in the end the
cheapest. There ia one extensive truck
farm in the neighborhood of st. Au
gustine that is amply and successfully
irrigated from single well that does not
give out near so much water rs is at
present flowing from the new city well
in Fort Worth. The water coming from
the well is held In an elevated sstauk -