The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-09-28

An article of more than usual Importance
to irrigationists is given by CY Warman in
McClure's Magazine for September from
which we select the following:
Millions of acres of land are lying idle in
western Kansas and Nebraska, i'll Coh,-
RADIO, Wyoming, Utah. Nevada, Idaho
Montana, Arizona New Mexico and Cali
fnrnia, needing only the magic touch of
water to make them bloom into a flower
garden, and yet producing nothing but
lean coyotes, sun=dogs aud scenery. One
million acrrs of land worth S1.25 an acre
or 81. $50 000. if watered, would be worth
81 PSI, co., According to the estimates of
Major Powell, there are 100000 square
miles of these lands which only water TO
render them productive. Special Agent
Hinton estimates that there are II DOC. COO
acres of arid lands which the government
could and should reclaim.
If we can add II 000.000 to our cultivated
domain we shall increase our capacity for
supporting farming population as much
as though we had absorbed nne-third al the
cIlliVa ed land of the United Kingdom, or
one fifth of thai OF France. ar One-fo uTih of
Germany. ar all the cultivated land Il
Sweden. Norway ana Greece puT together,
Ne, can annex Il Canada OF our OWN " I3Ii
out asking any bndyS leave. and have
million acres To spare. We can have a.
much cultiyable land within our hnrdrr>,
in addition tn 0ur present 203 Coz, 000 acres
as Australia and Holland combined have
undrr cultivation.
The irrigated farm is the only sure thing
farm on the face of the earth. Here man
may. for he small sum of 81 an acre. make
il rain or shine on any or ali of his acres
when he wills. An irrigated farm never
wears out.
There are farms in New Mexico that
have been irrigated for go years, and they
ar- to-day as good as Hew. The Pima In
dams of Arizona, we are t"ld. have cult
vailed the same lands far $50 years. and
nu:hing has been applied but the water
which frtShened and ferIilized the fields.
What can be accomplished by irrigation
has been demonstrated in northern Colo
RADIO, he garden spot of the west, if not of
the world. 1t all Col RADIOS gold. silver.
lead and copper mines We're closed forever
it would not bF half SO hard on the stale as
would he he failure of her fields to pro
duce. The drying up of the irrigaling
canals would cast The people 81 for every
dollar they would lose by The ci"sing If
every silver mine in The state. Even tn
residents have but Il faint idea of the won
derful resources Of the state and the fer
tilitY of the soil.
Some IF the biggest dams in the world
are in California. The MERGED dam is TO
feet high, with Il calacity of D O OO0 COO
water dam near San Diego. is 90 feet high.
and has Il capacity of 00U, % coo gallons.
spread over 10 acres: and The Bear Valley
dam is 81 ieeJ high, with a capacity of
10 CO0,0 O,0O0 gallons, covering 1880 acres.
immense Irrigating canals are lInW under
construction in Colorado. Elk Governor
Eaton Is just ctmpipfiig great reservoir
the waters of which viii cover 500 acres u1
land and ara, tXprcIed t. irrigait " hole
township. The largest canals and reser-
VuirS In Colorado ar, an The Arkansas
rIV, r. The La Junta and Lamar canal and
reservoir system is ii vast irrigation enter
prise. The canal has "A bItum width a
the headgate of so feet and carries water
feet deep. II is IL I miles lnng-the longest
i'll The United SfarpS-and has a combined
lateral length of $50 miles. 1t has several
reservoirs. two Of which are named the
King and Prince. The former has an area
1850 acres. Il gross depth of 40 feet and will
hulA 200 600 cubic feet of wafer. TIL
with gross depth OF water II fP~F l.
total capacity AT one filling is - 0G0,OtO
cubic feet The system cost 100000.
Reservoir Nc. l, ON the Colorado canal.
has an ar"a0f zoo acres. with capacity of
1873 800 COO cnbic feet of water. No. has
au AREA of 1850 acres and capacity Ot
665 SlS go cubic feet. Reservoir No. 3, pro-
jtcicd but not completed, has the greatest
capacity of anv reservoir site yet rec Drded
in c. dorado. It's area is 20 square miles.
and its capacity IS 800 0GO 600 cubic frt.r.
Lake Lola. Il Ma! ural depression under the
sam" grand system. has capacity nf
10 467. 100 cubic feet. The other reservoir
sizes of ms scheme have areas from 400 Ia
1900 acres. Ii is the most gigantic storage
system in the state and cost upward OF
$500, COO