Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-02-13
About Western Kansas.

Irrigation organized under the law of
1895 is extraordinary in one respect
it does not ask the board be perpetu-
ated and gives no arguments for the
continuance of its appropriation The
report covers 300 pages and is eXhauS-
tive on the subject of irrigation in
western Kansas from every point in
view The act creating the board, rs
stated in their reports, was the first
step in systematic effort to solve
the water problem of western Kansas.
The Investigations and experiments
of the board were confined to the
western third of the state and to the
uplands of that third. Along the
river bottoms and especially along
the Arkansas river, irrigation had al
ready been too well carried forward
by individual experimcnters to re-
quire any work by a state board in
that territory. An examination of
this elaborate report justities the Ian
guage which we quote from the sum-
ming up of the board at it's close:
y careful study, however, of the
report which we submit to your hon
orable body will furnish more accur-
ate knowledge of irrigation by pump
ing, the extent of the western under
flow waters, and of the means and
cost of raising them to the surface
and applying them to the lands. and
general information in reference -
the problems which will confront the
settler who expects to include in his
operations the irrigation of portion
OF his land, than can be found in pre-
yiouS literature upon the subject.
The history of the stations will
warn hi m of the difficulties in his
path. help him avoid them, will in
Struct him how to put down well.
how to build reservoir, give him
valuable hints as to pumps and power
best suited for his purposes. know how
TO combine them, and knowledge OF
the quantity of water he may reason
ably expect from the plant he pro-
poses TO put in.
Our statistics give the testimony
of nearly 1000 men actually engaged
in practical irrigation, as to the re-
turns which may be expected from
irrigated lands.
Our reports upon pumps, powers,
and windmills contain much new in
formation on these subjects.
The measurement of the streams
flowing out of the territory presents
accurately for nearly two years the
quantity of water going to waste
within our reach.
The report of the geological study
of the underflow water conducted I'M
der the personal supervision of Prof.
HawOrth, of Lawrence. one of the adj
yiSOry members of the board, is the
most valuable and exhaustive contri-
button to the literature on this sub
ject which has so far been given to
the public.
Practical irrigation in western
Kansas is extremely modern. Up to
1894 there were at the outside but
two or three hundred individual
plants in that region. The report of
the irrigation board names 1000
plants, and it is the belief of the
board That there are not less than A.
900 pumps successfully at work west
of the Tooth principal meridian. Their
Investigations lead them to believe
that there is in the western third of
Kansas water available to irrigate at
least 10 per cent of the upland. This
would put into intensive farming 81
acres in every section, leaving the
balance available for stock and forage
crops. On the irrigated portion it is
the irrigated portion it is the convic-
ton of the board that potatoes as
good as those raised in Colorado can
be produced, as well as other vegeta-
BILE, horticultural and garden products
more than sufficient to support a fam
lily for every plant in operation. In
the general conclusion of the report
Judge Sutton says:
Many thousand bushels of potatoes
which the people of Kansas will con-
sumo this winter were grown by irri-
cation in Colorado on lands worth
from $50 to 800 per acre, made so by
the market which Kansas with other
states furnishes for them. We made
our western lands worth from 81 to SO
an acre by farming them with crops
that are not profitable, and made
lands elsewhere worth from $50 to
500 an acre by buying their products,
potatoes, etc, which our lands will
produce as well. The humid parts of
Kansas may grow very fine potatoes,
but many people will not buy them
while the Colorado potatoes are in the
market The soil of the western
third of Kansas. water being applied,
will grow as fine potatoes as Colorado.
The American people pay about one
hundred million dollars per annum
for sugars largely produced from the
sugar beet, which will grow as luxuri-
antly in western Kansas under irriga-
tion as anywhere else. The time will
come when western Kansas will be
more evenly than now divided be-
tween the potato, the sugar beet and
the steer, and wise and judicious leg
lSlation may greatly hasten its COM
ing.-Topeka Capital.
Good for the Governor
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