Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Irrigation Receives Consid-
erable Attention.
WORK OF INVESTIGATION BY ELHOOD AEAD
Several Millions Have Contributed to
the Construction of Canals
In Egypt.


of reclaiming the arid West through a
series of internal improvement by the
Government, there has been but little
serious or concerted effort made in this
direction. Great undertakings are not
accomplished in single year of agita-
tion and some of the most beneficial
measures ever enacted were before Con-
gress for long period of years. But
the failure of the Government thus far
to appropriate money for reservoir con-
struction has led some men to assert
that it is useless to make any farther
effort to induce Congress to render this
desired assistance. This is certainly a
superficial view of the situation. The
records of Congress show that, until
the last two years, but little has been
attempted in the way OF introduction of
| bills, urging the matter before commit
tees or any other direct work done to
accomplish the construction of storage
reservoirs. Such claims, therefore,
made by some few men that because
Congress has not, during the past
twenty years, favOrably considered the
proposition, and has not appropriated
anything for the building of storage
reservoirs, that, therefore, it will not
be just as we'll for the West to give up
such useless campaign and combine
on some other policy, must be consid-
cred as weak and neryeless view.
Although the policy of national aid in
the building of storage reservoirs has
not yet been established, yet Congress
is fully alive to the Importance of the
irrigation subject and regularly appro-
PIRATES considerable sums for stream
measurements, reservoir surveys, irri-
cation Investigations, etc. The present
agricultural bill carries $35, 600 for irri-
cation Investigations by the Depart
ment of Agriculture and appropriations
have been regularly made by Congress
for such work since $780, The Depart
ment is now doing active work along
this line,
"There is need" says Professor Ell
wood Mead. who is carrying on the
work in the field, "for systematic in
vestigation to determine the volume of
water used in the growth of crops, both
to ascertain the requirements of differ
ent climates, and to determine the re-
lation between the variations in the de-
mands of crops and the fluctuations in
the flow of streams. This informa-
tion is needed as q basis for the proper
diversion of streams by administrative
officers. 1t is needed by canal builders
in order to properly design these struct-
ures and it is needed by farmers to pro-
mote the saving of water and thus limit
losses through an inadequate supply, or
to extend the acreage which can be
cultivated.
PRACTICAL MEASUREMENTS.
Measurements SHOULD be made to
show the utility of storage reserVnirs
and the part they can be made to per-
form in both saving the crops of farm
ers, now living along streams and make
| it possible for others to settle there.
Without definite knowledge of the
variations which exist between the use
of water in different months of the irri-
cation season and the fiuctuation in the
discharge of a stream, we can only con-
lecture as t9 the amount Of flood water
available for storage"
1t will be no small task, according to
Mr.. Mead, to put into shape correct
and ineligible guide which may be re-
lied upon as an authoritative summary of
the data On which the development of
the irrigation system Of the great West
should be founded.
THE CANALS OF EGYPT,
The great system of canals which af-
ford fertility to Egypt has been deyel-
oped at an expense OF fearful suffering
and labor on the part of its construct
ors. Many of the largest of the canals
have been built by unpaid labor or what
is known as the corvee. When Me-
hemet Ali, at the beginning of the
century began the canals which today
cut up the country, c9rvees Of more
than 100000 men were seen, drafted
from every part of Egypt, digging the
Mahmoudieh canal. At that time the
labor demanded annually by this des-
potic power corresponded to the en-
ployment of 100000 laborers for four
months. The poor fellahs who were
thus driven to onerous labors, usually
receiyed no benefit to their own lands.
The methods employed in excavating
were the most primitive. The only
tools used were the fass, kind of large
hoe, and the couffin, a basket woven
from the stems of palms. The corYee
was usually divided into diggers and
carriers and children frequently consti-
tuted the latter. The corvee was di-
rected by none too gentle overseers.
In the digging Of Egypt's canals the
lash has played an important part,
Is Good Thing.