Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-02-07
Another Irrigation Letter.


EDITORS WORLD: Once more I tres
pass upon you and your readers. The
last of the three subjects, "The conserva-
ton of moisture" has received attention
by a thousand writers already, yet there
never can be too much said, or too great
interest awakened, for upon that hangs
our only certain redemption, and by it at
last may the desert blossom as the rose. -
Nineteen inches OF water is a good deal,
my friends, as it falls, but of that nearly
one-half find its way Immediately into
the great troughs of the Smoky, and
other streams. OF the remainder, one
half is wasted by too sudden evaporation
from smooth and glazing surface, and
waited elswhere. It's beneficial effect
be were the process slower, and the
winds less violent. How much the con-
| troll of this comes within the province
OF man remains to be proven. But the
cries borne out by observation need no
| further demonstration of their efficacy or
truth. There are places in the world
where thousands upon thousands of tanks
have been made, and where agriculture
is successfully carried on by irrigation
although the rainfall is less than two
thirds of ours. Every dam constructed
across draw serves as a check to the
waters rushing away, and though it may
sink into the soil rapidly it will certainly
cool to that extent. If the dams we're close
enough and large enough to hold every
portion of water from above there would
be no further solution required.
Besides cooling the ground, that
amount evaporated during the hottest
weather would take up enough heat to
precipitate much more, so that the rainfall
would probably reach twenty-five inches
or one-fourth more than the present
amount. 1t would require many years. a
very perfect syetem of storage and dis
tribution, and much expense and labor
to reach that desirable point. There are
other means by which the same object
may be furthered to great extent. First
and foremost among all is the protection
afforded by the mating of grass of ten or
twelve years growth. would emphasize
in double cap. Last year the destruc-
ton by prairie fires alone in Rocks
county was estimated at 100000. If that
represented aIlit were a minor matter
indeed, but its ravages will be seen for
the next five years. It will be felt for ten
years in the lessening of the rainfall, by
the increased radiation of heat, in the
lowering Of values of land because of
failure and by the lessening of crops de-
pendent upon such moisture. This is no
wild theory. 1t is but the application Of
laws well known aud understood, or
ought to be. $4,000 would have made
fire guards for the next ten years. But
We need not go to Rocks county for OBJ
ject lessons of that kind; the entire south |
west part of our own county viii bear me
witness still, of a fire of three years ago. |
can draw the line to-day just where it
ran, and the next five years will continue
to tell the story of some mans blunder
or criminal carelessuess. But one man
can't protect; for his own little patch
would be scorched by the hot winds
generated all around him.
Hot winds generated 1 say, and they
are in the immediate neighborhood where
they are felt. Why, they may be felt in
Siberia within ten miles of the mountain
of ice. All that is needed is barren re-
hector such as sand, or the brown short
grass affords, and 6 bright sun to shine
upon it, with little or no moisture. But
just step across the line where the grass
has grown thick and matted, sink the
spade there and compare it with the
place where the grass is gone. It will
take you but one minute to decide with
me that the one and greatest agent in
the conservation Of moisture is held in too
little account. by the unthinking, who
destroy i. Yes, I'll agree with Trege
Nick, or any body else who says there
ought 10 b q fire guard on every Sec
ton line, ct public expense, it it can't be
done any other way, and imprieon every
usn who il foolish enough 10 destroy