The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-14

out on the Mediterranean coast are the fer
,ue garden lands OF Valencia. Aarivedro.
many other irrisation districts which
are highly cultivated. spain IN
many shocks. and It's government 30 fire.
quently changed. that its early irrigation
laws are OF little cons l,uence at this time:
but the laws Of 1879 and 1855 are OF special
interest. as they show TO what extent the
government interests itself In the cause OF
irrigation. Under these laws corporations OF
OF irrigation canals. are granted certain
exemptions and subsidies which materially
assist In the prosecution OF the work The
exemptions include freedom from customs
duties on machinery imported for use IN the
construction and maintenance OF the
canals. exemption from taxes. etc. y
sistance 10 the extent OF 80 per cent. OF the
estimated cost of the entire plant the gov
eminent reserving the right 10 expend its
money under its own management When
corporations or syndicates have complied
with all the formaiities of the Spanish lae
the estimated cost OF the works. the gov
eminent then offers the concession o.
right to construct the works. at auction 10
ninety-nine years. The difference between
bids is determined BIZ the amount OF SUBSIDY
named. the smallest amSdnt OF
being determined the best bid However.
II the bids should be the same on this poiat
the concession goes 10 the company GIVING
LAE lOMCSL LdLf ~
THE WORK IN FRANCE.
France. or that portion OF Europe now
called France. while under Roman omi
ion was. of course. subject to the Roman
law, and its water courses had the protec-
ton accorded to Roman properties. but fol-
lowing the conquest OF Gaul by the Nisi-
goths, the Merovingian kings deprived the
people OF individual ownership OF land un-
der the old tenure. and all ownership OF
rivers and streams was acquired by h
rulers themselves. Following this came the
feudal system, when the water courses be-
came dependencies upon the feudal counts.
who assumed ownership and control or
them. After a long struggle between the
water courses, which yielded a rich revenue
from tolls, the government was centralized
In the fourteenth century. and AL streams
of kingship." In 1866 the edict OF Noulines
was issued. which declared the nalienabil-
ity of the public domain, including al nr-
ers and streams III for navigation, ana tnis
is the policy OF France to-day. so that
waters once declared navigable can never
become private property. Although French
writer's and hydraulic engineers complain
that their government has not done enough
for irrigation, IL will be found by a pefusai
of her laws that, France; under the circum-
draulic agriculture. In her laws irrigation
and the reclamation of arid lands are con-
stantly favored, even In preference 10 man
ufacturing, only in one instance water De-
ing considered of more Importance, and
that for domestic use. To-day the French
government owns all the water courses. ana
administers their affairs In such a manner
as TO give complete and well-distributed
good results to the whole people
In addition TO the brief summaries of the
laws of Italy, Spain and France here given,
showing the deep interest these govern
ments have always taken in irrigation mat
tiers, 1t is proper 10 state that each OF these
countries have sought 10 encourage irrlga-
ton among their farmers by Offering valua-
BILE prizes for the best results obtained on
irrigated lands. Sets of rules governing the
competition, prepared by the Minister or
Agriculture, are sent out broadcast, In or
der that all wishing to compete may have
equal opportunity to nnaer v awat tee e, coma sbs
best interests OF its people, goes further.
and undertakes to ascertain what particu-
lar waters are available for irr1gation pur-
poses, and TO publicly give credit TO those
who use water Systematically and economi-
cally, and at the same time TO call public
attention to those who use the water In an
extravagant and unskilled manner. This
action on the part of the French Agr1cul-
tural Department has a wholesome enect
and goes a long way towards promoting a
scientific and economical use OF the waters
allotted TO irrigation.
IRRIGATION IN AMERICA.
Having shown the great interest taken
In irrigation by the older countries as n
means OF advancing agriculture and the rec
OF the arid lands. we now turn
to the United States. where public and gov
ernmental interest in the practice is rap
idly increasing.
Although irrigation has been engaged In
in California, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming
and Utah for many years, the undertaking
was largely experimental. and It has only
been within the last quarter OF a century
that success on a large scale has been at
tained.
or the irrigation in this country the Nor
mons rank first In an attempt to win from
the virgin soil its birthright of haryests-
These people. having left the fertile fields
OF nlionis and Missouri. followed the star
OF empire westward. On they trudged, foot
sore and weary, across the great plains,
through forests and over mountains. At
last, by dint OF perseverance,. they reached
their heaven. the Great Salt Lake. But
OF them the briny lake. in their rear noun
tains, on either side arid plains The soil
was dry and rains were OF rare occurrence,
ment of the leaders told them that arfi-
fetal watering was their only salvation
High up on the mountain tops, where the
thunders crashed out their mournful ca
dences, sparkling streamlets had their
source. Down the mountain side they tum-
bled until they ran out TO kiss and wed the
seeds and quickly diverted a portion of the
streams from their natural courses so that
walls. and. behold. what had been an arid
desert was transformed into a garden land
OF surprising productiveness. Since that
time the Mormons have perfected their
system OF Irrigation until the country about
the great Salt Lake is of great fertility
Southern California in 1870 became the
scene of another important irrigation en-
terprise. In that year a syndicate OF
hardy spectators purchased a tract OF
desert land aggregating three thousand
acres, many miles from any railroad. They
encountered many hardships and reverses.
but finally they mastered the art OF sue
cessful~ irrigation. and from that time their
success has been wonderful. On that three
thousand-acre tract of arid land that was,
to-day stands the beautiful city OF River
side, CAL. one of the greatest shipping
points for oranges i'm the world. and very
little of the tract can now be bought for
less than 5000 an acre
While the Riverside pioneers were bat
ting with the problem OF irrigation I'm Cali
fornia. the same scenes were being enacted
on the Colorado plains In the valley of
the Coche la Poudre river. about midway
was here that the first attempt was made
to carry water upon the second bench
or high ground. and Il Is here to-day that
is as successfully practiced as
I'm the country. The pioneers OF
this locality were the members OF the
famous Union colony. Of which the late
Horace Greeley. editor OF the New York
Tribune, was one of the chief promoters.
and when they had founded n town they
properly named IL Greeley. In honor or
the illustrious gentleman who had contrib
uted so much toward making the colony
a success. 80 there stands to-