Graham guardian., 1896-11-06
IRRIGATION AND FERTILIZA'
TI0N.

the present prosperity and future
greatness of Arizona and the entire
arid west is based, is irrigation.
Whatever ripples Of fancied pros
perity or "boOms" sweep over the
land, will be found to be but temp
orary; the permanency of prosper
ity must depend upon irrigation.
1t is the keystone in the arch of
western success; it will be the means
of converting the millions of acels
west of the Mississippi into Great
America.
Irrigation is older than the Anglo
= Saxon race. Its importance in the
progress of the world is but little
known and seldom recognized.
Since man first began to till the
soil the principles of irrigation
have been adopted at different
periods in desert and semi-desert
regions, always with the most mag
nificent results.
1t is remarkable in the history
of human progress that the highest
civilization has been developed
in ralnless countries. That is, in
countries where the substantial
fruits of crop depend upon irri-
CATION. Egypt, the cannite mon
ument of learning and high civili-
zation in the old world, and
Peru, the pinnacle of advanced
thoughts and progress, developed
from a race Of savages in the new,
attest this truth. Egypt was the
birth place of European civilization.
"Under the shadows Of the pyr-
amids Greek philosophy was born"
No country has had such varied
history as this and of decay. Its
borders have been invaded and its
people and arts destroyed, but the
record of its former greatness is
described upon the earth itself.
Nature is surer guide than the
works of man, whose life is neces-
sarily transatory, and so, solldlty
of nations fabric must depend
upon the former. The appearance
of Egypt, in regard to her people
and national position has changed
again and again, but while the
fertile fields and old time civiliza-
ton have disappeared, the land and
climatic conditions remain as of
old. That which may be said of
Egypt in the old world, may be
said of Peru in the new.
There is grand reason why the
world made its spurts toward ad-
vance progress in these desert
spots. 1t is not remarkable that
civilization should be born amid
the land of Nubia or in the valleys
west of the Andes; that the car
of progress should be built on the
banks of the Nile instead of along
the Danube or the Mississippi.
The reason Is obvious. The labor
OF the farmer is always at the mercy |
of the winds and clouds. In coun-
tries where the agricultural crop is
dependent upon the rainfall, the
result is always doubtful. 1t is
not sufficient that certain amount
of rain should fall, but it must fall
to produce the proper effect in
requisite quantities at particlar
periods. Not so with irrigation.
Notwithstanding the meteorolog-
ical and climatic variations may be
numerous and great; the crop can
usually be foretold and controlled.
In the spring of the year it is
known how the crop will be in the
autumn. Thus, when man ceases +!
to be the sport of the season, an4
his anxiety for his future we'll be-
ing is removed, his certain march
to higher civilization is assured, {
In the western part of America
is point very similar in point of
soil and climatic conditions to
Peru and Egypt. True, there is
no Nile to inundate the land at the 9
of each agricultural '
but the inundation goes on |