The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-01-30
IRRIGATTON.
How Western Kansas IS 60 Be
Made Productive.
Interesting Paper Prepared ny SsdEs
Gregory Yer the Late Meeting of the
state Board 81 Asrfculture-IErIsa-
tzSn -. Hot winds.

prepared 3 paper upon the subject of
irrigation, which he was to have read
at the late meeting OF the State Board
OF agriculture but he was prevented
from being present, and the paper has
been given to the pablo It's main
features are as &OziOvysS
would say OF artesian wells that, in my
opinion. they premise 20 be one of the
smallest factors Ia the irrigation problem in
Kansas. The history Of arSesIan wells shows
thas, as a rule, the cost OF 50 obtaining water
TIE hand 1t viii irrigate. The reason for this
is thPeefOld- In the hrst place the average
cost Of such wells is large even when only
the successful measure Is considered
Secondly, counting the cost OF dry hoIes,''
which il would De necessa ry to- do in arriV-
ing at an average cOst-Ior the risk of OBJ
tanning only dry hole u2lssf always be
taken by any one who sinks such Weu-the
aYerazse cost OF obtaining artesian water Is
probably st least doubted Then, OF the
wells " hIch fogF, with. greater or less pres
sure, considerable percentage produce
water 50 strongly impregnated with delete
riOus mineral matter as % be unit for use in
irrigation
Thirdly. when q successful and paying
we'll has been obtained in any locality, it is
often the signal for its own redupIicatfon in
the Immediate vicinity until the source OF
supply Is Slapped and all such wells in the
locality become merely pumping wells or
leave but feeble 1iOw. Among the places
where this has been strtkingty illustrated
may be mentioned Denver Col, and Fort
Worth, Tex.
There is an occas tonaI district which
proves an exception 70 che rule, and the
Meade County district in this state bids fair
to prove such an exception, owing to its lin
tied area, the slight pressure of the dOw and
the probable relatively extensive source of
supply in the surrounding underfiOw. A
similar set of conditions seems TO exist in
the san Luis valley in Colorado. but is not
likely to be duplicated in Kansas.
The underfiONv, or saltwater of the plains.
is factor of which, as yet, comparatively
little can be authoriuativeIv said as a whole
On the last day of the month of January,
in 1889 the first published exposition OF this
araF
since then it has received constantly widen
ing attention and grows in interest and i'm
pOTtance as knowledge OF it increases. In
the latter part OF the summer OF 1883 the first
fountain was begun near Dodge City. It's
success was not fully assured before others
were under way, and still others are project
ed, some of which will be opened the com
ing season
The details of the fountain method" of
obtaining water have been so often published
that presume it is hardly necessary to re
peat them here; vet, lest il should sim be
new to some, il may be well to explain that
1t depends upon three conditions: ~ There
must be an abundant subterranean water
supply. 20 The water must lie near the
surface. 30 There must be a SUFFICIENT dip
OF the surfase of the ground and of the un-
deFlylnS " dIer- bearing stratum TO admit OF
reaching the water economically These
conditions are found in most favorable com
binatiOn in the valleys OF the Arkansas and
Platte rivers, where may be found a wide
and deep underfiON, coming very near to the
surface which has decIivity exceeding
seven feet per mile
Suppose that, in such valley, where the
water is but three feet below the surface of
the ground, trench is dug mile long and
seven feet deep As the surface falls at the
rate of seven feet per mile, the bottom of the
trench at the one end viii be on level with
the top OF the ground at the other end, con
sequently its four feet depth. OF water must
flow down TO, and pour out at, that end II
such trench be made wide and deep and
lOng-miles long, il need be-and the water
carried off by means of a ditch canal, YOU
viii thus have one OF -'GreEOrv's fountains. -
The first one of these. constructed by Gil
81 ed to
have cost SCI, coo and to have capacity to sup
Div water for frrfgatinR 30 OO0- acres of land
Even at such relative cost, the reclamation
of such land by such means. will be very
profitable; but future experiments will less
en- this relative cost, where conditions are
favorable, and such fountains viii irrigate
vast areas of most productive country W b =
must otherwise remain arid Like all other
features OF Irrigati Il IS matter which
can only develop by degrees. There are
many other large areas where this method
can not be Immediately employed, because
the saltwater lies roO deep below the surface
OF the ground but there will eventually be
many a fountain flowing broad deep, peren-
NAL streams of water where they are not as
yet dreamed OF by the people they VIII en-
rich.
Where the underhow is too deep TO be
reached by the fountain plan, pumps, driven
by steam and wind power Eventually sup
viii play an important part, along with sys-
TENS Of catchment and storage basins and
reservoirs for the conservation Of surplus
storm and stream waters
In many parts OF Western Kansas the set
tiers Windmills and ordinary pumps now in
use. supplemented by inexpensive small
reservoirs and dams across narrow draws
and valleys, might begin the great sork Of
reclamation most promptly and thoroughly,
It is the utilization OF such small means,
right at hand which is among the things 10
do nrst
But going back now TO the real eginniEag
place, would say that the very arst thing
necessary to be done for the good of West
eFn Kansas is for the people 30 learn to adaps
themselves to the country-rO know and re
alfzeezhe facts, confess the facts and learn to
make the best OF the facts.
Despite all that may be said 90 the con
trary, what may be called Il aeuFal coBd ions
do change in a region which passes from
wild. unsettled state TO one Of improvements
and human occupancy. But such changes
come slowly. as a rule, requiring time. com
bined with mans advancing not OLssy half
way, but All the way, to meet Shem. and
gradually lead them forward. Bus the human
animal, with al mis- boosts of wisdom and
adaptabiligy to circumstances. shows pre-
cious little more Sld gEuens when thrown sud
denly In the midEt OF unEecustGmed suE-
roundings than might be expected of the
sheep or the goose IL IS related that in the
great Irish famine OF lsE7 hundreds OF starE-
ing people continued famIshins with hunger