Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1900-08-22
IRRIGATION IN ITALY.

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. Especial
ly notable as means to this end
have been the irrigation works OF
Italy, largely undertaken and FOSTER
ed by her successive monarchs and
ministries.
The early Romans were careful IT.
rigators and Italy is known in history
as the classic land OF irrigation, al
though it is not believed that any
large irrigation systems Or great canals
were constructed 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 Lom-
hardy hundreds OF thousands OF poor
people have found relief and comfort
through the revivyfying influence OF
water, great tracts of marsh and waste
land having been reclaimed to irriga-
ton. Nothing could be more striking
than the contrast between some of
the irrigated and unirrigated districts.
Many of the former are among the
most densely populated 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-felds, rice grounds, flax-felds
and green meadows producing Won
derful crops, cover the face OF the
country, with prosperous farms and
cottages surrounded by the vine and
the fig, and inhabitated by happy
families. 1t is only necessary to COM
pare the present condition OF the pro-
vinces where irrigation exists with
their destitute past to see the gaod
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
of 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 count try by private
capital in fiftieth part OF that time.
The late King always evinced
particular interest in the irrigation
work OF the state and in the possibili-
ties OF rural improvement through
water reclamation. While about seven
million acres of land in Italy are al
ready under irrigation this is by no
means all the land subject to reclama-
ton and projects are now on foot for
additional development, the possibili-
ties OF which are very great. The
great government irrigating canals in
Italy have length of over 140 miles
and the vast network of distributing
channels aggregate total length of
something over 1000 miles.
1t 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.