The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-04-28

out this his ground will be worse than
worthless.
Irrigation for these western lands
has been ACCOMPLISHED in many ways.
Corporations have built canals from
which they have supplied water at a
set price for a given amount, and the
amount is easily regulated by the
weirs, on measuring machines, in use
on the lateral bitches from which con-
sumers Z supplied. The district sys-
tenn Of irrigation has been tried in sew
eral states, notably California, Idaho
and Nebraska, but in the hrst-named
state only has the system been used
TO any great extent. This system
places the cost of irrigationin the form
of q special tax upon the people Of the
district in which irrigation is desired,
and such irrigation districts are usual
~ organized upon atwo-thirds vote Of
the residents OF the districts. In this
system the operating expenses are
usually paid by either assessments in
the form of taxes, by acreage valua-
ton, OF by tolls for beUse OF water.
The pioneer in western irrigation
was the individual and from his efforts
has come the community system Of ir-
rigatioD which has worked atisfac-
torily in many communities where the
original cost of construction was not
too great to be undertaken BY the
farmers themselves.
Mr.. JIG. Ulrich, ina recent communi-
cation to the agricultural department.
describes the methods adopted BY Tie.
westeln farmers in Organizing for the
construction of q communit irriga
tion canal.
For the purpose d ideallv
trating the method OF ORGANIZING aud.
conducting the affairs o 3 conn
munity irrigation epterpr
be assumed that a number oil inditid-
uals have made filings upon diderant
tracts Of government landg c0mpris
ing in the aggregate an area AZ 1000
acres, OF that they haze acquired t
same area through purchase from the
state or from a railroad company.
This lands is, of course, arid and unprO4
duetiTe without water. and before its
irrigation q be effected a canal or
other conduit must be constructed for
conveying thereto The waters Of scme
adjacent streum. a meeting Of the
owners OF claimants is therefore held
and heneeessar liant is agreed upon;
the mount of Wafet ~required. the size
Of canal needed, and the approxmate
cost Of the undertaking are deter
mined; and q board of directors isl
elected, who appoint the executive OIL
GERS for conducting the affairs Of the
company. 1T viii be assumed that the
probable cost Of the works has been
determined to be $4,000. The capital
stock is then fixed at this amount, and
ia divided into SEQ shares at a parvalue
Of S100 eoeh. 1T viii be assumed that
the canal IS to carry 100 cubic feet OF
water PEI second Of time. Under this
assumption each cubic foot 81 proposed
capacity IS represented by a capitaIi-
zation Of $500, and. as there are 500
shares each Of the latter would repre-
sent one-dfth Of cubic foot Of water.
i one ouhie fcbt Be considered as the
amount required for so acres Of land,
each 81 those Who desires to irriqate
his area should subscribe for i've
shares "a stock. ard for larger areas
in tie satle proportion There would,
ao19ereg he mo condition apecifyfng the
member az shares which amy purchaser
must acquire. though 20 would be ad.