The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-07
IRRIGATION.

There is no place in the United States
where, at some time or other, sooner or
later, the farmers could not save a crop
if they were prepared to irrigate, for
there is no place exempt from an occa-
sional drouth. This is true of the east
ern seaboard states, and the liability TO
drouth increases gradually as you go
west, until you reach the region of rainy
and dry seasons, west of the Rocky
mountains, thence on to the Pacific. 1t
was only last year, 1890, that the peach
crop of New Jersey was an entire failure
for this reason. In this longitude the
rain is ample and seasonabIe for the
great staples, wheat, corn and oats, with
proper cultivation, and the fact that
many painstaking, intelligent farmers
have never fallen below forty bushels of
corn to the acre must be taken as con-
elusive evidence that right methods will
infallibly succeed But there are many
other products of the soil: fruits, grapes,
garden vegetables and root crops that
could be raised here in such abundance
tio 10 IlOb NOOSiloclICu w ltSO IA OInOiS ~
calities that can not be relied upon,
either here or elsewhere with absolute
certainty, without irrigation.
In regard to irrigation, as it is COM
paratively understood in this latitude, it
may be necessary to say that it is not
only one of the oldest adjuncts to agri-
culture, but by its help today the food of
nearly one-half of the human race is
produced. So, instead of being a novelty
or experiment, it is as old as the human
race, and as well understood, and applied
to the production of food as blowing and
reaping.
1t is the good fortune of the denizens
of the valley of the Great Arkansas, that
they dwell not only on the most fertile
soil as yet appropriated to the use of
man, but soil whose unprecedented
richness can ineXpensively be multiplied
four fold by irrigation. The unique
of the great Arkansas river is
a well known fact, but the possibilities
it carries for good have not been demon
strated. This river from Pueblo, Colo,
to the mouth of the Canadian is
miles in width, the flow of the water
below the surface, from six to twenty,
feet, is as wide as the river
valley and inexhaustable in all seasons.
and to raise it to the surface with wind
pumps throughout its breezy extent, af-
fords the cheapest irrigation known,
when the area to be irrigated, and the
perfectly ineXhaustable supply of water
is concerned. The whole valley within
the bounds mentioned would support in
plenty family on every ten acres, and
as has been suggested twenty acres set
to fruit, vegetables, grapes, ETC., would
be more productive than can 100 acres
elsewhere, without irrigation, and equal
to the best fruit lands of California.
In southern California irrigation has
made possible the production of varied
and useful plant life, till that section
has almost become one of the wonders
Of the world. But it can be said that
irrigation in the valley of the Arkansas
can be applied not only more cheaply
than in California, but the supply of /
water is more certain, being in fact in
exhaustbIe.
When we shall have accomplished our |
destiny in this the Happy valley of the
pioneers the world will not afford a
parallel, for nature has not furnished a
duplicate of this favored spot.