The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-04-19

LII II q LOhlD "A
publication In handy book form of the pro.
ceedings of our last annual meeting.
The following financial statement will show
you that though the society has been to con-
siderable extra expense during the past year
in incorporating the organization under the
laws of the State, and in publishing said res
port and sending it out to the members, still
there seems to be no need of calling upon
those who generously agreed to share in MAX
ing up any deficits in the expense of publish.
ing the report. On the contrary, all of these
expenses have been fully met from the in
come of the society with what money there
was on hand in the treasury and the only
shortage in the years account is an item of
dues to the Secretary and that is likely to be
fully met by the receipts OF this meeting.
The secretary's financial report showed that
$2S2.25 had been collected as membership fees
and sale of reports, which amount had been
dish ursed for printing reports, stationery and
other necessary expenses connected with the
association, leaving an Indebtedness of about
SIS, which will be fully met by the proceeds
of this meeting. w. S. HART, Secretary.
TREAsURER's REPORT.
Amount on mana as per laSU $lSS IA
Amount received tfOm secretaTy.......... Is 90
Amount 50 per cent. dividel DIS, 1850 in
Palatka Bank OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. as SO
$3l1 81
CONTRA
Amount in Paatka bank charged off as
pei action OF last annual meeting
at Olmond. ................. -. ... 49,. $l39 80
Amoant of draft drawn by president
and secretary TO printing.......... 172 81
$3l1S 81
j. B. ANDERsON, Treasurer.
Mr. A & Hamlin submitted the fol-
lowing
REPORT CT COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION.
Mr.. President and Members Of the State HOrti-
cultural Society:
Your Committee on Irrigation resp 3ctiu'ly
submit the following:
I.-HISTORY OF IRRIAGTION.
Irrigation of land is an art that has exist ell
for many centuries previous to any authentic
written history. The traditions of the Chi.
nese people are very ancient. and irrigation
is mentioned in their most ancient traditional
history as being extensively practiced. In
Egypt, Syria and the ancient kingdO ms of
Eastern Asia. agriculture depended almost
wholly upon irrigation. and still 50 depends
in these lands where the people have survived
the political changes of thousands Of years.
Virgil in his rural poems thus describes ex-
actly the processes which are followed now
Gle leads the stream and flowing rvulets to
the growing corn, and when the burnt field
dries up, the herbs dying, he leads the water
and cools the parched field with rills.'' The
irrigation of gardens. vineyards and fields s
frequently referred to in the Scriptures One Of
the earliest books speaks of it, and one of the
prophets refers to burrows of the plantation"
In Egypt, lila and China ancient ruins point
to former irrigation on q large scale. In Rome
irrigation had its greatest development, if not
it into Italy, France and Spain. When the
Spaniards occupied the new found continent
they used their system Of irrigation wherever
the dryness of the climate demanded it. In
Chill Peru Central America and Mexico the
canals and bitches made by the eally spanish
settlers remain, and are still in use. The sys-
TENS adopted in California, Texas, New
Mexico and Colorado are largely copied from
the ancient models. Irrigation within The
present boundaries of the United States, was
first employed by few Indian tribes and
half breeds in New Mexico and Southern
Texas; by the PueblOs in Arizona, and by the
Catholic missions ana Spanish sett lers in up
per California.
The actual history Of irrigation In the Uni.
ted States begins with the settlement of the