The herald., 1895-04-04

began in arid regions. and that under
irrigation ii aud loT culture hare been
carried to the highest perfection. Civili-
zation had its birth where there was
aridity, and production from the soil de-
pended on the artificial application OF
water. 1t is also we'll authenticated fact
that lands supplied with moisture by
irrigation retain their fertility longer than
lands in localities where rainfall is solely
relied on. The products of irrigated
lands are, as rule. in greater abundance
and of better quality. 1t has been ire
quently asserted that California fruits
tested in the Eastern markets have not as
good flavor as those produced in rain
countries. and their defect in this respect
is ascribed to irrigation. There is very
little irrigation of decduous fruit trees in
California, and hence indifferent flavor
must result from some other cause. Fruits
of decduous trees have heretofore been
picked before they were fully ripe, when
destined to be transported long distances,
and this accounts for defective flavor. 1t
certainly cannot be ascribed to irrigation.
People accustomed to California fruits
ripened upon the trees, have no reason to
find fault with their quality.
No doubt as sometimes applied irriga-
tion does harm. 1t is work that must
be done intelligently, conducted on sci
entfic principles, Water may be sup
piled inopportunely, or in too great or
too small quantities. A little good sense
and experience will correct such mistakes.
In this part of the state the subject has
become pretty well understood, and with
in the last few years methods have been
greatly improved As result production
has been in greater abundance, and OF
better quality.
Newcomers here are apt to start out
with the fear that the water supply in
Southern California is not sufficient for
any considerable area of land. That idea
formerly prevailed among those of long
residence and even among the natives OF
the country; or more properly stated, the
subject was not seriously considered. be-
cause demand for consumption was slight
as population was small. 1t is probable
that few, if any, fifteen or twenty years
ago. believed there was water enough
stored in the mountains to supply one
tenth of the area now under irrigation.
Consumption OF water has continued to
increase for several years, and yet there is
no apparent dminution of the supply.
Something undoubtedly is due to the fact
that application OF water to lands is not
as wasteful as formerly. 1t is presum-
able, if not beyond peradventure, that in
the mountains there is stored during the
rainy season all the water that can be ad-
vantageously used in irrigating the culti-
vable lands south OF the Tehachepi
range of mountains. At any rate,
that there is enough, economically ap-
piled, to vastly increase the irrigated
area is beyond question. The rainfall is
very much below the average if there is
no water that finds its way to the sea over
the surface. which only needs to be stored
in reservoirs to add appreciably to the
supply for irrigation.
That the fertility of lands which are
made to produce by irrigation is not as
soon exhausted as in rain countries is.
philosophical, especially where rains are
excessive. Wherever rain supplies the
water it's tendency is downward, and it
carries the fertilizing ingredients with it;
but in dry countries moisture ascends,
bringing to or near the surface the ele-
ments of fertility. In the latter case
lands do not leach, to use an old express
sion of farmers. Not only philosophy
but experience shows that fertility is
longer retained in arid regions. People
in the East and visitors here need not
question the superiority of irrigation
over rainfall in both cheapness OF cultiva-
ton and abundance of production, nor
that there are sufficient rainfalls annually
to supply an area many times larger than
that which is now under cultivation.