Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-10-05
Moistnra for the Prairies.

The most serious clash between
Colorado and Kansas that has ever
marred the usual friendly relations Of
the two commonwealth has arisen
this summer. The proposal Of the
Colorado State officers to build large
State irrigation bitches leading from
the Arkansas river and watering the
region east Of Colorado Springs and
Pueblo was received with bitter de-
nunciation by the farmers Of south.
western Kansas. They have been
tapping the waters Of the Arkansas
with more and more freedom each
year and the supply is not proving
equal to the increasing demand. Fol
months the bed of the stream, In many
places half mile or more wide, In q
glistenlng spread Of sand with not a
pool to reflect the cloudless sky. The
water that flows down from thu
mountain SHOWS is either seeping it,
way oceanward in the undern)w, well
beneath the surface, or has been,divert
ed into the alfalfa and wheat fields OF
eastern Colorado. Further depreda
tons of this sort were not looked for
ward to kindly and the matter became
n serious one. AS result there was
called the Interstate irrigation meeting
which met at Salina.
The west was well represented. The
call for the meeting included not only
Colorado and western Kansas but the
Indian Territory, Nebraska, the
Dakotas and Wyoming. All these
sections are to some extent In the arid
region Of the west and drouth has
terrors for the dweller In many parts
OF them. The long lines Of prairie
schooners which have filed eastward
during the summer taking their poverty
stricken passengers east to the "wife's
folks" back in Missouri or Illinois
have told only too plainly the story Of
suffering and trouble because of the
total crop failure.
The cry for seed wheat going up from
parts of western Kansas where hun.
dreds of farmers have not raised
enough to seed their fields again Is
another phase OF the unprOftableness
OF agriculture on the plains without
water.
Such was the burden OF the conven.
TONS discussions aud the chief topic
Of all was the one Of procuring the
water with which to moisten the
plains. Great as is the need Of greater
rainfall or n supply for riparian irriga-
tion there is still larger reward for
the man who shall invent the means of
preserving the present supply so as to
distribute 1t along ever the various
weeks of the growing season sufficient
ly to prevent crop failure.
Governmental tests have shown that
the rainfall il sufficient from the 9th
principal meridian west TO give uni
formly good crops and 1t Is because 1t
comes at inoppOrtune times that 1t is
not properly utilized in the production
of field grains.
One plan for utilizing this rainfall is
the reservoir system, by which every
farmer is to build embellishments in
draws or ravines aud so form ponds or
reservoirs to he used az source of
irrigation for the land lower down and
To moisten the atmosphere by adding
to the supply Of moisture and 80 induce
more rain.
The digging OF artesian wells is
practicable in some sections but not all.
In one western Kansas county three
wells were sunk to the depth of over
1000 feet by the government without
striking any artesian supply,
The digging of large wells and the
introduction of windmllls is another
plan but this has a great expense
attached and would scarcely prove
practicable. The ralnmaker is hardly
worthy Of attention though his advo.
Gates were on hand at the meeting.
lie has proved to be failure in his
western Kansas and Cherokee Strip
attempts at bringing water from the
clouds.
The utilization Of the 80 called un.
derilow either tapping 1t by bitches or
lifting the water to the surface by
means of windmill or engine driven
pumps ia strongly advocated by many
and was thoroughly discussed in the
convention.
The convention listened to some able
speeches, some dreary ones. Itdrafted
resolutions and adjourned 1t meant
well and no doubt increased public
sentiment in favor of more experiments
but accomplished little. Irrigation for
western Kansas remains problem.
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Secretary Morton was written to