The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-10-05
WATER ON TAP.
IRRIGATION THE SURE WAY TO
HAVE WATER AT COMMAND.
Some Interesting Facts and Figures Show
ing the Value Of Irrigating Land, with
Tables Exhibiting the Worlds Wei


attention i'm the investment world ana
which is being discussed by the press gen
orally, is the question of reclaiming ara
lands by means of irrigation.
To have water for land when II Is need
ed is blessing, no mat,er what the pro
cess. II firing dynamite into the CLOUDS
will do IL, then speed the bomb. II arte-
sian wells serve the purpose. then bore the
well.
But Irrigation proper, by canals ana
bitches is the par-excellent method dis-
covered up TO the present time. why
Because il has proved its efficacy and the
following figures of the increase IN vaiue
OF irrigated over non-irrigated land mlght,
be thought fanciful, did we not furnish
no less authority than the q" Progress ne
port on Irrigation in the United STATES
authorized by Senate Resolution OF De
cember 10, 1870, and prepared under the
direction OF the Secretary of Agriculture
and from which we quote:
The value Of irrigation as fertilizer OF
the soil may be seen IN the fact that the
Pima Indians of Arizona have cultivated
the same land-a portion OF which they
now occupy--for at least 800 years.
The valley Of the Rio Grande for nearly
400 years has been the seat, as far north as
southwest Colorado and as far south as
Eagle Pass in Texas, Of settlements, the
members of which have cultivated the
soil by irrigation, Pages ll-l2.
The evidence taken everywhere shows
that the production of grain can be doubled
by means of irrigation within the arid re-
giOn over equal areas within humid
States, that the production OF root crops
and garden vegetables can DE increased
from five TO ten fold over the same crops
elsewhere. This will prove to be
true, not in horticulture alone, but also in
the raising of enormous crops or sugar,
tobacco, hemp, and other articles of value
in the markets of the world. Page 10
In the fifteen counties Tin California)
that have increased so largely, farming
pursuits under irrigation have become the
chief feature OF their development. The
total population Of the state of California
i'm 1850 was s64. .5j2. In 1890 il was ,203 V6J.
The gain. in the eleven counties most
deeply interested in irrigation has been
over s53 per cent. These counties comprise
those affected directly and indirectly by
the growth OF irrigation enterprises ana
horticultural progress page q.
The semi-aridity OF the Great Plains re.
gion, which has been a marked feature OF
the last three years, has caused loss or
- per cent. on its productions. III the
fruit crops, then, of the arid States were
entirely dependent, as are the wheat crops
natural water supply, the epormous loss
that would follow can be easily appre-
ciated when il is remembered that peach
and apricot orchards, etc, return net
profit of AT least 500 per acre the wine
grape and the table grape one of sl50: the
raisin grape from 800 TO $50, and oranges
at least 800 per acre. The loss OF ~ per
cent. on such crops would reach very
large sum. Irrigation, with such soils
and under such circumstances, makes pro-
duction as certain as that OF the weaver,
the iron moulder, or the shoemaker.
Page 22-3.
In the Pecos valley, to the east Of the
Rio Grande, the cultivation OF fruit has
Just begun. IL is claimed for this region
that special crops of this character, and of
garden products also, ripen earlier than in
California and at present have nearer
market. Page %.
In Texas fifty-two counties included
within the area west Of the 9th degree
show a range Of selling prices for land as
follows Non-irrigated from Sl.5O to $50 ;
with water, so 10 $500. The aver
age range where irrigation Is practiced
being from S25 to S15, OF about $50 per acre.
This will stand alike for the Rio Grande
and the Rio Pecos valleys. Page So
The Pioneer Canal, in Reeves County,
Texas, is taken out of the Pecos River
about twelve miles north of Pecos city.
The canal is % feet wide at bottom and "A
feet wide at top, feet deep, and is esti-
mated to carry 1,020 cubic feet of water per
second allowing 1853 acres as the duty of
cubic foot, the irrigable acreage, when
the canal is completed, will be $4,000
acres. AT the present time about 17I1
miles Of mainca and latsrals have been
completed and IL, $50 acres are now sup
piled with water. All the work done TO
date is on the west side of the river The
canal will soon be ftumed over to the
east side and rapidly extended southeast
wardly 30 miles. About 145 acres are now
in cultivation under this ditch, and about
1900 acres have been acquired by private
parties and will be under cultivation be-
fore the close of the year page 1907 We
append the following table by States of
the area of land under ditch and under
cultivation by irrigation in the arid and
semi-arid region.