Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1895-01-25
Irrigation the Latest Phase Of
Paternalism.

From Manhattan Republic.
We have been watching the ad-
vancing crazc with reference to IT.
rigation, particularly with reference
to western Kansas, with no small
share Of interest as to its outcome.
That the result SO far, when at
tempted on large scale, has been
practical failure is pretty generally
conceded and known.
That instances of individual ef'
fort have proved eminently success
ful in certain localities is equally
we'll known.
There are portions Of western
Kansas where small areas OF few
acres can be successfully irrigated
bv means of wells sunk down to
more or less extensive reservoirs OF
water beneath the soil and others
where a like result may be effected
by damming the streams with
view to saving and utilizing the
annual rainfall, of twenty inches
more or less, being about half
enough to insure, il seasonable,
abundant crops of grain and vege-
tables.
To attempt to go into any extens'
i've system of irrigation on the part
of the State when no sdequate sur
yey has yet been made as to the
availability of finding water in sui
ficient quantity, for purpose OF If
rigation, together with the probable
cost of bringing it to the surface II
found, would be a piece of reck-
less folly.
We are told that a bill has been
already drawn up and possibly al
ready introduced in the present
Legislature of the State to vote a
hundred thousand dollars to boom
the desert lands of western Kansas !;
-. chat have been tried under the
old processes Of successful eastern
agriculture, and found wanting.
Il has been further intimated
that these lands have already been
mortgaged and sold to English cap
;ta,ist.. or abandoned by the original
.sttlers most of whom have al
ready gone back to their "wlie' s 5
t.lksu : and herein is to be found
the milk in the cocoanut."
This bill asking a donation OF a
hundred thousand dollars ostensibly
to help the "poor settler" OF west
err Kansas, is in reality an attempt
an the part of the foreign holders to
boom them into market once more,
that they may not only save their
means therein invested, and at pres
emit. worthless, but sell them at a
great advance on the purchase
nr;ce to such as have not been "tak'
en- in" heretofore, and in conse'
oueucs have a surplus Of money and
a minimum of experience. Like
their predecessors these will DOUBT :
less come again poorer in purse but
vastly richer in dear-b0ught expert
ence There is no reasonable ooJec'
ton to the States voting reason
able sum to enable Prof. Hay to GO
on with his very interesting and no
doubt valuable surveys OF these
hitherto sterile districts OIL Tue
State with a view to future poss''
bilities in the line of irrigation.
That these lands will in the course
of ZINE be made productive when
"braiu and Drawn" are jointly put
in use in bringing about the much
desired result we have never had a
doubt since passing over a portion
of them. The methods already
tried in growing the crops usual TO
other localities have not wholly
failed with a larger and more var'ea
exnerience as to what to grow ana
how to cultivate it, a reasonable
success will sooner or later be at
tanned.
Considering the numerous wards
of the State that are continually
crying for more, the State legisla'
ture had better go slow in adopting