The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1900-08-24
Irrigation in Italy.


Through the assassination of King
Humbert of Italy the poor people of
that historic land lost conscientious
friend. Although Rome, and later
Italy, have supported many tyrants
who have trampled upon the necks of
the people as upon worms, others OF
its rulers, King Humbert among the
number, have had the good of the
peasants thoroughly at heart and have
endeavored to improve and ameliorate
their condition. Especially notably as
a means to this end have been the irri-
G ltion works of Italy, largely under
taken and fostered by her successive
and ministries.
The early Romans were careful irri-
gators and Italy is known in history as
the classic land of irrigation, although
it is not believed that any large irriga-
tion systems or great canals were con-
structed until in comparative recent
times. AS in the far East, springs,
wells and small streams, easily diverted
from their channels, were the sources
of supply; but in the last few centuries
Italy has developed some magnificent
irrigation systems. In the districts of
Piedmont and Lombardy hundreds of
thousands of poor people have found
relief and comfort through the reyivify-
ing influence of water, great tracts of
marsh and waste land having been re-
claimed to irrigation. Nothing could
be more striking than the contrast be-
tween some of the irrigated and the
unirrigated districts. Many of the
latter are among the most densely pop
ulated regions of Europe. Their soils
have received just the element needed
to call forth their inherent powers and
instead of arid wastes and extensive
marshes, corn fields, rice grounds,
fl lax fields and green meadows produc
ing wonderful crops, cover the face of
the country, with prosperous farms
and cottages surrounded by the vine
and the fig, and inhabited by happy
families. 1t is only necessary to COM
pare the present conditions of the
provinces where irrigation exists with
their destitute past to see the good
which wise government policy has
wrought for the people. Nearly six
hundred years have been required to
perfect the splendid canal system of
Piedmont, and to change its once arid
wastes and dreary marshes into sheets
o. cultivation. The moral presents
Itself that to irrigators in the United
States, who are but beginning this
work, they may have cheerful hearts
in sight of what has already been ac-
complished in this country by private
capital in fiftieth part of that time.
The late King always evinced par
ticular interest in the irrigation work
of the State and in the possibilities of
rural improvement through water rec
lamation. While about seven million
acres of land in Italy are already under
irrigation this is by no means all the
land subject to reclamation and projects
are now on foot for additional develop
ment, the possibilities of which are
very great. The great government ir-
rigating canals in Italy have length
OF over lao miles and the vast network
of distributing channels aggregate a
total length of something over 1000
miles.
It is understood that the new King,
Victor Emanuel III, will devote him
self largely to internal improvements,
first breaking away from the stagger-
ing expense to the State of foreign en-
tanglements and alliances.