St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-06-25
In the Arid West.

Strange experiences, unique and IN
terestlng sights, notable places in quicl
succession have crowded upon us in til,
past few weeks. We shall have to dea
piecemeal with the many wonderful
things and facts gathered during the
enjoyable Pacific coast tour of the Ma.
tional Editorial Association.
Perhaps the most interesting and re-
markable feature is the use of water in
the cultivation of the soil that obtains
in California and other portions of the
"arid REGION" as that part of the United
| States is called which lies west of the
one hundreth meridian. This region is
territory 1900 miles in length and 1900
miles in width, and extends from Cana
da on the north to Mexico on the South.
The rainfall is SO scanty that irrigation
Is necessity, and many millions of dol
lars are invested in reservoirs and canals
for conducting water to the ranches {"
OF the farmers. We say ranches" for
everything from al acre on which
chickens or bees are kept, up to a half
million acre farm is called ranch.
In the central and southern portions
of California, little farming is done
without irrigation, and the ease with
which water is applied, together with
the uniformly large results realized,
makes it wonder that our farmers
have not long since utilized the springs
and streams which abound on eyery
hand, whose water would many a time
save the loss from drouth that now is
SO frequent.
Irrigation is practiced in many locali-
ties, but in Kern county the largest ca
nails are found. There are some 1870 feet
wide and feet deep, which carry water
eDough to irrigate upward of 200Cc0
acres. The vast extent of irrigation
enterprise may be seen from the fact
that single concern, the Kern County
Land Company, has over SEQ miles of
main canals, varying from 40 to 1870 feet
III width, and over 100 miles of laterals,
oy Wnich the water is conveyed directly
upon the land. This system cost over
s3.0oo,0Oo to construct, and by it over
100000 acres of land otherwise absolute
y unproductive are made worth up to
$3.50 and even more per acre.
Every where that irrigation is plenti-
full in California the same wonderful |
results were seen. Desert lands that no |
one would take as gift, when supplied |
with water at first cost of $40 to $50 an |
acre, and an annual charge for main
tenance of 81 to $3.50 an acre, by the |
application of water are made to yield
from $50 to $3.50 worth of benches,
apricots, prunes, raisins and other fruit
to the acre, SO to 500 worth of alfalfa,
30 to 40 bushels of wheat, and so on
the entire list of faI m CT ops
and orchard products.
The manner of applying the water to
growing crops is as easy as the results
are remarkable. In Kern county and
leig hboring sections the land is nearly
eyel, moderately sloping in two dilec-
IONS A canal is constructed across the r.gh-
st Inc Of any given property. For ala ia or
~ loot or eighteen ilcheS Gh about the
lcld. The canals have WO0def "a as, and when |
lie &c re open the water IS 2 owed to IN un-
/ the ; -Ouud Is covered several 'nche. deep
men as much 4s has been put on as the soil
81. take up the gate IS closed. With aira1ra
ne arp icat on OF water $ sufficient tor a s:l-
lie crop nd from three to eight cgops re Ont
ach year.
For lees or vines, Iii rows cre plOwed be-
ween the rows and the water : tened into
hem and allowed to lun verv SOW for hours at
| me. Three or fou" applicat ons ere suffi- |
lelt any ordinary season.
Nc rain falls in the sumner Or early f. l. but |
LIS makes no difference to the jrrigator for
le water in lis cana, is always ready aud can |
e apple whenever needed Hithout auy fear
l.there being too mucn or too litGle moisture
$ IS the case where the rainfall alone is de- |
ended upon. The illicator IS, in fact indie |
endent OF seasons, ana it must be confessed |
lat Their enthusiastic statements of the bene- |
is OF '.flgat on appear to be wei grounded.