The San Francisco call., 1899-04-12

ing statement as to the advantages. de-
rived from irrigation by use of a pumping
plant system. He said;
There are many advantages to be
gained by the pumping plant system
over the system of taking water
from the streams, one of which is box
ing the water under your control at
the time you need 1t; another Is that
the water is free of the various seeds
that spread over your land from chan
mel irrigation, thereby making the
good condition for the growing crops.
One of the greatest advantages with
the orchardist is a preventative in the
shape of a severe frost. The object
section are indisputable. Where late
irrigation and winter irrigation was
followed with good cultivation the cit
rus and deciduous orchards stood the
temperature without damage, while
adjoining lands, which We're dry and
unCultivated were badly injured at
temperature of % to %. With pumping
plant ready and the temperature at
the freezing point, by filing the
bitches through the night from wells
with water at 60 degrees, 1t would
raise the temperature several degrees
in the orchard and in many instances
save a fruit crop that would other
wise have been destroyed by the frost
The difference between the tempera-'
ture of the water and the frost at the
killing point, Is degrees, is about 81
degrees. Thus it will be seen that
the atmospheric temperature would be
raised sufficiently by the temperature
of the water to save the fruit.
In his advocacy of the pumping plant
system Mr.. Mills expressed the belief that
San Joaquin Valley would not be hab-
liable If irrigated by the old system
throughout its length and breadth, He
said extensive irrigation by bitches means
q swamp district in which is found ther-
NAL fever and malaria. =,
Irrigation, he said, fertilizes the soil
and at the same time equaliZes the tenn
perature. 1t gives to the land plant food
when water is pumped out of a river
where it has accumulated. In this way
the land never deteriorates. but is en-
Colonel John P. Irish told of the i'm
portance which drainage had attained at
Fresno, From long continued irrigation
the land is full of water and is commen-
cling TO fill the low places. This water, he
thought. should be drained off, to be used
again He called upon Arthur Briggs of
Mr.. Briggs first controverted the state
ment made by Mr.. Mills that a series of
irrigation bitches would produce disease.
He said irrigation and drainage went
hand in hand. On the east side of Fresno
County the old irrigation bitches of ten
years ago are being used to draw off
the water. He believed small pumping
plants could be introduced which would
pump water from the bitches cheaper
and better than by running 1t off through
laterals. Water should not bee, used more
than once, as 1t develops alKall IN TOO
large quantities. To prevent this 1t
should be carried away through the earth
to be saturated again with fertilizing ma
terial. His people irrigate one year in
advance TO aid nature and to provide
against a possible drought. Early irri-
cation with cold water checks growth, as
it chills plants and trees.
Mrs Elizabeth Shields of Sacramento
told briefly of the system of irrigation
on Feather River and said that the pump
ing system would be tried.
Among the members present were: Cen
erai N p Chapman, George c. Perkins, j.
s. Emery, Craigie Sharp, Mrs. Elizabeth
Shields, E. w Runyan, W. H. Mills,
Colonel John p. Irish, w. Frank Pierce,
Mark L. Mcdonald, George T. Trow-
bridge, e. w Maslin, I. H. Thomas and
C. F. Montgomery