Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-01
DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATION
Results of investigation in Kansas Revea
Many Obstacles,
REPORTS OF tn: STATE Co2NSSlO
The Artcsinn system the Most FEAST
bic, but thnt Has Many Difficulties
Advantages of knnir Corn
nnd the Sorghums.

writes the Abilene, Kan, correspondent Of
the Globe Democrat. That essential is
moisture. With II the west can be made 20
| blossom, but without 1t the experience OF the
past few years OF short crops will be re-
pcated. and the end will be the mpoverish-
men OF those who are brave enough to stay
/ by the country. The long lines OF campers
wagons that have been on the march east
ward during the past half decade have told
the story of disappointed hopes and deferred
promises more eloquently than words can
do 1t. The people who have left this sec
| tion, embracing the western third of Kansas
and Nebraska. with a large part of the
western tiers of Dakota counties, have not
departed because they wanted to, but be-
cause they were compelled to give up the
hope that brought them west. They wished
| to make a home on the plains, but they
! failed because they were unable to get the
requisite amount of rain. The problem has
not yet been settled but the west is study
| ing 1t and has recently made new progress
| that promises to give light on the subject
and make 1t clearer to the world. saving
much wasted effort and expense. Farming
| in the scmi-arid region Of the plains has
been conducted on a basis of the same OF
practically the same, rainfall as is given to
| the more favored regions. 1t has been con-
Quoted regardless of the fact that the state
| of Kansas, for instance, is an inclined plane,
| with the western Cnu set 0,UUU leet nlBHeT
than the eastern. This elevation is the
cause of much of the trouble in the lack of
water, but it is by no means the only one.
| There are other reasons for the failure of the
clouds to come The underground supply
has been looked to to correct this deficiency,
but II Is not known what are the limitations
OF this supply.
RESULT or INVESTIGATION.
The state OF Kansas has just completed
an exhaustive Investigation of the posi-
of oil pf he,
vests water supply. An appropriation was
made at the last legislature and a commits
sion appointed, with Prof Haworth. of the
state university, as an advisory member,
10 prepare a report. This report is nearly
| ready and the findings are most important
in the bearing on the problem of the vests
crop water supply-a problem that must be
solved before the west accomplishes any
thing permanent in agriculture. The por-
tiOn to be Investigated was divided into six
sections, with two men in each, who worked
their way slowly westward and studied the
conditions as they found them, making a
report TO the central manager. The in
vCstigation included the recording of the
depth and quantity of water in the wells
and pools, as well as the examination of
the ravines and gullies, to find out the
nature of the strata and dip of the land.
The tGbulatiOn of these figures is being
m&de carefltiy. The water supply is
found to depend on the stratigraphy OF the
soil. In western Kansas the conditions are
comparatively simple, says the report. The
mysterious red beds are overlaid by Com
anche rocks. Benton. Dakota and the Mo
brara, and then comes a shae that varies
from 90 to $50 feet in depth. The soil
is made up from this covering and the
rocks beneath are the basis of the water
holding formation. The surface slopes to
the east, but the rocks dip to the northeast,
hence their distance from the surface Is
somewhat greater in the northern part of
the state than in the southern part. This
accounts for the failure of general system
of irrigation in the latter The water
supply comes down from the Rocky noun
tains, and is flowing under the shale all
the time In place of coming near to the
surface of the earth, and here and there
gushing out In the form OF springs that
have been the wonder of the people on the
desolate portion OF the plains. In years
OF heavy rainfall the springs are increased,
and there are many streams that are not
now visible. About 1000 square miles are
being considered in the report and the
deductions are taken to be typical of the
entire west that is in the semi-ard belt.
THE ARTESIAN REGION
a large artesian region Is found in the
district that is practically the best watered
part of the west Here the artesian water
gushes out at the slightest encouragement,
and there are farmers who are enabled to
make their crops grow with the least effort
il they will but utilize the means that are
before them. The cost of an artesian well
that has the water at the surface Is not
more than $50, and the results of farming
in this section could scarcely be eXagger-
Gted under the right management. But the
people waste the water shamefully, and
there is little practical use made of It,
They are ready to do something If they can
do 1t on large scale, but If not then they
want to wait while. Two brothers. for
instance, near Meade, have prepared pumps
TO lift the water and have control of some
wells
You know" said one. that this irriga-
tion business is all bosh. | tried 1t and
scarcely came out even. 1t is a failure"
How much ground did you try to put
in?" Mr.. Haworth asked him.
Ten acres to begin on"
well, why not try fve?"
"Oh, II can not water ten acres I will
not try at ALL"
"Isow much did your brother irrigate?"
'Hc tried fifteen. but it was a failure"
So 1t went They all wanted to do too
much. The Germans are doing better than
any other class. They are sticking to the
amount that they can irrigate and letting
the remainder alone. They are keeping
little herd of cattle and raising some gar
den stun and live like kings so far as their
wants are concerned
IN THE WESTERN COUNTIES.
1t is the opinion of the commission and
the same holds good in the estimation of
others who are we'll informed that the
are not and never will be adapted to gen
eral agriculture, and the farms that have
failed there seem to prove It, The settlers
who have gone into that section OF the
west have failed If they devoted their work
TO the raising OF the crops of the agriculture
in the east. II they have gone into the
production of the crop that can stand a
great deal of drouth like Kaffir corn and
the sorghums and similar crops, they have
been able to live; If they went further and
gave to the cattle and sheep industries
some attention they have made money
The people who are left in those western
counties are for the most part those OF this
class. The others have left.
The underground flow, upon which so
much dependence was placed a few years
ago has been demonstrated TO be failure
The flow of the mountain water over the
rock beds is not close enough to the surface
In most parts OF the plains TO give a supp,
to any ditch that may be built. The theory
that tho climate is changing from the effect
OF the plowng and the trees Is generally
doubted nowadays. The change has not
been positive enough TO make the climate
appreclably different. The storage methods
are not trusted any more a method OF
changing the climate The gullies that are
fitted with big dams to hold the water which
was to moisten the air OF the entire prairie
stand as monuments to the folly OF this
craze. The ultimate raising OF the water
and placing OF II on the land must 1t seems
come frnm hp farmnr Whn nv angina or