The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-08-22
THE IRRIGATED FARM,
Irrigation Means Diversified Farm.
ing and Independent Farmers.

Irrigation Means Diversif1ed Farm.
ing and Independent Farmers.
The climate of the western half Of
the United States takes it's chief char
acteristic from it's aridity or dryness.
The heat Of it's southern summers and
the cold of it's northern winters are
alike tempered and mitigated by lack
of humidity. Neither the humid heat
which prostrates nor the humid cold
which penetrates to the marrow is
known in the arid region. The western
mountains and valleys are recognized
natural sanitarium where thousands Of
inyalids are sent each year by physi-
clans to regain their health.
The hundreds Of streams which fall
from the 10000 foot level Of the Rocky
mountain range to the 1900 foot to
5000 foot level Of the plain at their
base are destined to turn more wheels
of industry than have yet been har-
messed west of the Mississippi river.
Back of the irrigated lands are the
grazing lands, of which there are prob
ably not less than 40O,OOO,OO0 acres.
factor of the pioneer life of many of
the arid commonwealth, and they are
destined, under proper management, to
always constitute the great nursery of
cattle, sheep and horses.
The irrigated farm has back of it the
mine, the furnace and factory, and the
civilization Of western America cannot
fail to have a prosperous and varied
industrial life. Here there can be no
one sided development, no community
exclusively devoted to the production
of corn, wheat or cotton, to manufac-
lures or to commerce. The farm, the
stock ranch, the lumber camp, the
mine, the factory and the store are des-
tined to grow up and flourish side by
side, each drawing support from and
furnishing sustenance to the others.
Where land can only be cultivated by
means of the artificial application Of
water, and where that water is not un-
der speculative control, it is owned in
small holdings. This is so because irri-
cation intensiies the product Of the
land and so demands much labor. It is
kind Of labor which can not profita-
bly, be left to hired hands. The result
is multitude of small proprietors
working for themselves. This fact is
strikingly illustrated in southern Cali
fornia. Here the farms are small and
almost exclusively occupied by their
owners. But the great wheat ranches
in other parts Of the state. notably in
the Sacramento valley, depend chiefly
upon hired laborers, who make no
homes of their own.
Irrigation lends itself naturally to d.
versified farming and tends to make
population self sufficient within itself.
Although In certain localities, especial
~ those where the climate is favorable
to raisins and oranges, the contrary
has sometimes been true, the tendency
of irrigation as a whole has been to
discourage the production Of single
crops and make families independent
by producing the variety Of things they
consume. This tendency h steadily
gaining ground. The diversified farm
ing which irrigation both permits and
encourages win be an important ele-
ment in contributing to the independ-
ence Of the people who shall inhabit
the arid region Of the future.-Expert
| Elwood Mead in Year Book for 1899.