The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-24

Hon. Charles w. Irish, head of the
irrigation department of the depart
ment of agriculture, is in the city and
registered at the Cullen, where he will
remain for the balance of the week
and then depart for the southern part
of the territory on a trip of inspection
Mr.. Irish is here in Utah on an i'm
portant mission, specially created for
him by Secretary Morton, that of the
study of the irrigation systems of the
west. He has already visited Arizona.
California and Nevada, and after
making a careful study of the con-
ditions existing here in Utah, the
birthplace of modern irrigation, the
gentleman will depart for Idaho and
swing through Wyoming on mis- way
east.
The object Of this inspection is to
place before the farmers of western
Nebraska and Kansas, who for the
past three years have lost practically
all of their crops through drouth, COM
piled information relative to the irri-
cation systems so successfully used in
the western states and territories. The
government has taken the matter in
hand and through the department of
agriculture is advising the people Of
the sections named to divide their
great farms into small tracts and
adopt irrigation methods. Those of
the early settlers of this territory are
cited as models and it is the intention
of the department to encourage the
uses of irrigation all in its power. r.
rigation has come to be looked upon
as the only salvation of the middle
west, and the people there now see its
advantages. They are adopting the
suggestions of the department of agri-
culture, in a measure, and it is antlct
pated that a more general use of sur
face water will be worked up as a re-
suit of the visit to the west Of Mr..
Irish and the information which he
will CLEAN and then scatter broadcast
throughout the country. The gentle
man is not only gathering samples or
the products of irrigation and general
statistics as to yields per acre, but he
is also securing samples of the soils of
different sections of the country, both
the wild and that redeemed by irriga-
ton. These samples are to be anal
yZed in the laboratory of the depart
ment for the purpose of ascertalning
just what benefits are derived from
the uses of surface water and the rota-
ton of crops.
parts of Nebraska and Kansas are
without natural facilities for irriga-
tion, but through the aid of WindnlillS
and wells, sufficient water can be OBJ
tanned to reclaim the small tracts of
land which the department is advising
the farmers to cultivate. In some Sec
tons of the states named there are
natural streams and from these the
water could be raised by pumps to
4k7.-
fall.
Mr.. Irish will remain in this city till
Monday next, when he will leave for
Milford. 1t is his intention to stop off
at several stations along the route and
make careful inquiry regarding the
methods in use there. He will make
an inspection of the Beaver river
canal enterprise just above Milford and
possibly the systems at Clear lake and
Swan lake. The Utah valley, with its
sugar beet fields, will receive special
attention. Upon the gentleman's re-
turn to the north he will go up &c
Corinne and then make an inspection
Of the Bear river system under the
care of W. H. Rowe, who is now gath
ering much desirable data on the SUBJ
ject of irrigation for the use of Mr..
Irish. Hon. Robert C. Lund, of st.
George, will give him some valuable
information regarding the uses of sur
face waters in the southern part Of
the territory, where the effects of irri-
CATION have been even more wonderful
than in the northern part. Mr.. Irish
is very DESTROYS of meeting with gen.
tiemen interested in the work of irri-
cation. He is highly delighted with
what he has already seen in Utah and
declares that the methods in use here
are superior TO any others in the
world