Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-08
IRRIGATION.
ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION FROM MIR.
SHIELDS ON THE SUBJECT.
bitches Would Be Cheaper Than Wind
mills-Water Power from the
American River.

EDS. RECORD UNION: l have in few ar
ticles endeavored to show that the Board o
Supervisors, who have the authority, shoult
ascertain whence water for irrigation car
be had aud the possibility of obtaining i
from the most convenient point-say tn,
American river.
have endeavored to show, that though
our people in the county are not convinced
of the great importance of irrigation BY
bitches, are not satisfied of its healthful
ness; are not satisfied of lis cheapness, al
compared with windmills, horse and steam
power; still it is the duty of the prope
authorities to show the conveniences, th,
cost and the sources of water for this pur
poses-that the people could have beior,
them data from which to form correc
conclusion
1 have further endeavored to show tha
if water can be obtained from the Amer.
ican river, other enterprises of equal OF
greater importance and value can be con.
Joined with this, which will materially les.
sen the cost and add incaleulably to its
equal in value TO the irrigation scheme and
bearing one third or one half of the cost OF
construction of dams-and if navigation
shall be deemed desirable, no additional
cost will be met with except the cost of 8
lock IN making the dam-which | will add,
In this narrow stream will be over one
third of the length of the dam.
Should the United States do this, it will
bear the whole cost and keep the whole
control of the stream-selling the water
power and irrigation values for sum that
woald largely reduce the cost of their con-
struction.
Should the water have to be obtained
elsewhere than from the American river
the same power should discover the best
source and have accessible the knowledge
of the cost, and plat of the course posi-
BILE on which it can be delivered. To do
this would cost but a fraction of one per
cent. in our tax rate, but might be worth
almost millions in accomplishing great
work
1t does not seem to be a faculty that
everybody possesses to see clearly the great
value of irrigation. For example, We are
accustomed to believe that alfalfa can only
be produced on river bottoms; but it is
well known that it will grow on any soil if
water can be applied. Where alfalfa can
be raised. milk ranches can be multiplied.
Hogs and beef cattle can be raised. Sheep
can be fed from an acre of grass that would
require many acres of grazing land to sus-
tain. am fully persuaded that this will
be the method of raising sheep and wool in
the net distant future.
Pertinent to this is the example of the
Indian who wanted all his lands for the
reason that it took 100 acres to produce
enough cranberries to support one Indian.
But by cultivation in this berry or some
other product, his land would support 100
Indians. Pertinent also to this is the fact
that railroad facilities have stimulated 160
acres of land to the production of as many
carloads of fruit as did once the whole of
Vaca valley.
And yet our county having better rail-
road stimulants has not been wrought upon
in anything like the same degree. Ought
We not in common reason to detect the
cause OF this failureP 1t may put Us upon
the true paths of the clue, to say if you
-Aaye intermittent fever take quinine; bat if
you have consumption try sarsaparilla If
railroads have not given Us very much in
creased production, try irrigation. We are
stimulated in this direction by every ex.
pertinent made for forty years. The wind.
mill was a long step; horse power was an
advance in itself, and stay of the wind
mill; small steam engines headed off both
in measure, until of late the wonderful
effect of the Stephens powerful engine gives
such wonderful results that every one has
been, as it were, astonished. Still later
this enterprise of Mr.. Stephens has been
duplicated in the very strong hold of wind
mills in the very center Of the land of
strawberries" "-Florin.
And still We willno see-i e., practically
Of ho hocf far i,
said, since these articles were commenced,
that he was opposed to the formation of
irrigation districts and would vote against
1t. He said that he could erect wind
mill for $420; that this mill would irrigate
nine acres of land and would be cheaper
and better than water in bitches. When
asked whether it would irrigate nine acres
if planted to small fruits-as strawberries
he thought not. OF course, though did
not ask the question, the same would have
been returned in regard to vegetables of
every kind.
did not then pursue the subject farther,
but wish to resume briefly now and hope
he will count up costs little. One hun
dred and sixty acres by windmills would for
imperfect irrigation take eighteen mills,
and would cost s., ,160 One hundred and
sixty acres watered by a ditch would re-
quire twenty-three miners inches Of water.
No one can tell which would be the cheaper
method but every one must know that the
running water is the more reliable, and
the expense of keeping the water running
in bitches, it seems 10 me, would be but a
1.-THE of the repairs of the windmills. Be-
sides this it must not be forgotten that a
very large number OF windmills have 9
horsepower attachment, TO be resorted to
in times Of Gains and accidents. 1t is
- NfAa Iseoe 81 81 -
tachment referred to. These will be
double the cost of the windmills. With
out data, till the Supervisors shall examine
and report, nothing approaching accuracy
can be had but am, for one, quite sure
on whose side the credit must be placed
and cannot be mistaken that the figure is a
big one.
Before taking present leave of irrigation
by bitches allow me to hint that the coun-
tries where this system prevails most ex-
tensiyely are probably India and China.
II the people there are of the same habits
as those that have stopped over on US, their
methods viii be found quite primitive,
and like our own Chinatown sewage, in
sad need of improvement.
Our soil, too, is not like that of southern
portions of our State. II will not become
saturated to a great depth and require
henceforth to be drained at greater ex-
pense than that incurred in watering it.
We can apply the water and have moisture
can shut the wickets and at once dry our
soil.
We can have water as a sluice, or can
train it to the foot of the tees as from q
windmill. If the ditch were of the mag.
nitude Of canal, we could close all the
gates and have a canal-bost. But l must
not get too far into what is too improbable
F. NJ. SHIELDS.