Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-03-20

der agriculture thereon certainly re-
munerative. On two acres out of every
five in the sum total of the United
States, there must be more or less If
rigation to secure success in farming
and all could employ it profitably at
times.
The arid and semi-arid lands, which
constitute the two-ffths mentioned,
cover about 1,300,00 square miles, or
more than 800,000,00 acres. If this
area could be thoroughly reclaimed by
irrigation, it would add more than no.
600 900 possible homes of agriculturists
to the treasures of the resources of the
United States; because it is demon
strated that, on thoroughly irrigated
/ land, an average family may live well
off less than twenty acres, the average
yield from irrigated land being four
times the average product of non-irri-
gated. But large areas, which are in
cIuded in the arid limits, consist OF
mountainous country, consequently
unsuitable by nature for agriculture.
Notwithstanding this, it has been esti-
mated that, when all available sources
of water supply for irrigation are util-
lied, there will only be water enough
to irrigate about one-fourth of the land
cluded only the surface waters, how
ever, from melting snow, rains, and
natural springs, aided by artesian
wells and pumping machinery. But
there is another source of water sup
ply hitherto unnoted which is des-
tined to become factor of most
wonderful importance in the prob
lem Of the reclamation of
the arid lands. 1t is the underflow.
Thus is the broad and deep subter-
ranean volume of water which slowly
flows through the sand and gravel un-
derlying most, if not all, the streams
which traverse the plains adjacent to
the Rocky Mountain system, these
plains constituting the greater portion
of the land which will require irriga-
ton.
These underground streams, which,
extended investigation shows, flow
steadily, though slowly, through their
sandy medium, are probably much
greater in volume than the streams
upon the surface, and there are indica-
tions that they are also much more nu-
merous, and there is little question
that they are, in large measure, distinct
from surface streams in the direction
of their flow. But little investigation
has been made as yet into the extent Of
these underground bodies of water.
In the valley of the Arkansas River,
particularly that part extending from
| the Tooth meridian westward some 300
miles, the subterranean flow Is both
wide and deep, and is an average of
but three feet below the surface OF the
low lands along the river.
At Garden City, Kan, which is on
the Arkansas River, fifty miles west of
the one hundredth meridian and sew
enty miles east from the west line of
the State, the water-bearing bed of
sand and gravel is 80 feet deep; and
engineers, who have made study OF
the matter, find it probably over fifty
miles wide. Though it is not probable
that such depth and width are, by any
means, uniform, yet that a great width
and depth are maintained throughout
the 800 miles mentioned, has been
demonstrated. This renders the use
OF improved pumping machinery cheap
and effective, to a limited extent, for
the purpose of raising water to the sur
face for use in irrigation; but, a sys-
TEN is available which will utilize these
vast subterranean stores of water, and
which is simple, cheap, and permanent,
costing comparatively little either to
establish or maintain it.