The herald., 1894-01-01

eOInD deGft6 OF ucJAll. lUCkUu1uH QuCo7 1
tionl o rainfall. storms, evaporation |
rnd sediment carried by the water'
Detailed topographic surveys are
then necessary. II storage reservoirs
are 10 bs constructed, an even greater
degree OF engineering skill may be re-
ouired. The character and nature OF the
construction OF the dam will differ in
every case.
Irritation ia an art that must be
learned. 1t has been brought to the
highest perfection in Southern Csliior-
nia. by men OF means, who have tried
all known systems.
Water for irrigation is obtained from
running streams; by storing water IN
re. ervoirs constructed in the mountains
or i5othils; by tunneling into the
msuntans; by building underground
dams to force the subterrane2n flow TO
the surface and by boring arteeian wella.
Water is also occasionally pumped from
wells, on small scale, by wlndmille or
by steam enginep.
The fret supplies Of water used for ir-
rigatlon were derived from running
streams that were easily diverted. No
expensive dana or other works were
built, and economy in handling the
water was not deemed necessary.
The different methods are flooding.
small iurTows and basins. tho choice
depending upon the soil and the
amount OF water available. In South
ern Caliornis the furrow system is now
used almost exclusively. 1t is considered
by far the beat. as its effect resembles
that OF slow, soaking rain. The check
or hasin system is sometimes used
! where the surface is rolling or steep.
For steep hilisihes a method OF irriga
| tom hy carved iurrows haa lately been
! introduced in Southern California.
/ Cemented canals and wooden iuInes are
| largely used. Sno-irrigation has been
total failure practically, the roots clog
! ing the pipes.
The processes oi irrigation in SOUTH
ern Caliiornia may hs rlassed under
three heads: ~ Frequent Irrigation
Tasioa wtn s@,s w, f''lS S9lss,an %saam 'f5 81
fare irrigation wite, frequent cultivation.
The primitive slexicsn Farmer wasted
s,sas,s - ~ TX s..ssss ia nov Fvn l.l
ample Ito tiks,ksSRf4sF irriSate - to 40
acres OF ofanza9 y elnrscat g.apas. The
change has he pnsb-ought about by ex'
pcrience, education and free use OF TIE
cultivetor.
The quantity OF water used per acre
varies greatly. 1t depsnda Oh the crop,
the soil, the rate Of transportation sud
the judgment OF tho irrigator. Alfalfa.
grown on mesa eOils, probably requires
the maximum and olives the minimum.
Citrus treee usually uuire more water
than any other trees, and are generally
irrigated every four weeks during the
eammer. The supply OF wafer per acre
varies in the different COLONIES. At On
tario, Pomona and Cucamongs one inch
to ten acres is etipulated Rislto. L I'D
lands and the proposed Victor p,olsci
have one inch 70 eight ncres; R;verdide
Santa Ana, Highlands and several other
eettiemsnts use any amount which the
irr;gator chooses TO order and pay for
Some districts are contracting to fnrniell
one incn to FIVE acres.
No otheS element haa done more
than the practice OF irritation TO huild
up the wealth and population OF TINS
state, and especially of southern Cali
fornia, while it is equally certain that
the progress OF the past is bus IA mare
indication OF what will te accom- plishec
during the next lew wears.
Irrigation has wropght changes mor'
rapid and radica! than any heofo eeer
on earth. Within the past % years II
, has reclaimed what seemed 10 many :
hopeless desert. 1t has reversed al
land values ard standards OF vape
taught that there is no such thing &:
poor land, if It is warm. well drniaef
and can be irrigated, and has developed
possibilities ia fruit culture an,
general t.llgge that woul,
otherwise have lain for ages uusus
pected and unutiized. Southern Cali
fornia proves conclusively that. on al
land sufficiently we'll drained to b'
! avsilable for trees, vines or other valu
able crops. in esssons OF excessive rain
, whatever may be done without iriiga
! ton may be doubled. tripled, or ever
quadrupled, with it. In some places. il
: this section, three crops year ar,
, raised for several seasons in the youn!
orchards, making practically iour crop
. year.
Tbs term in water measurement on
= inch means 6 steady flow OF waite
, through an aperture one inch square
under four rinch pressure, and 10 identl
cal with the term miners inch" a
, commonly used in California. Thi
/ flow yields in round numbers nine gal
n Ions per minute.
! The preparation of virgin soil for n
! orchard or vineyard to be irrigated aite
planting varies little from that OF Ian
which depends on rainfall. If the sol
ia light and porous it is desirable t
/ have quite fall to the land, so tho
i water in the burrows may be run swift
v over the coil. while on heavy soil
!. is necessary to have the ground nearl
q level, 60 that the water may be run yer
!. slowly. thus thoroughly soaking tn
q ground Trees ara usually planted &
# % and "a feet apart. Furrows are con
II monty opened between these trees b
n taking off the teeth from q ix-foc
( cultivator and placing q small shove, 2
II each end and one in the center, thu
d making three .urrows, each two fee
apart at one trip. The growing limb
II usually extend so far out from the tres
l. that two sets Of burrows sre all that ca
q be made. Into these elk snallo
# furrnws the water ia turned frol
i the fumes or head ditch and is Above
K to run "a to forty-eight houre, accordin
a. to the nature of the soil, until th
d ground is perfectly soaked. The cult
y vator is started as soon as the horse
,f can get on the ground after the irrigi
q tion and the eoll is kept perfectly pu
Ia verized until another irrigation
e deemed necessary.
! Ia Southern California orange tre'
i are usually irrigated about six times al
II nuslly, epricots, peaches. prunes ar
If muscat (raisir) grapes three times. al
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