The evening times., 1900-03-20

The absolute necessity 81 irrigating the
soil in some parts Of this country is no
less than IL is in some portion OF the south
ern continent OF Europe. where the region
though not 20 be considered arid, is yet
unbIessed with rain in sufficient quantities
10 assume a cultivation Of the numerous
crops. The rice fields Of the South furnish
the most potent illustration OF this fact
The most productive rice lands are always
irrigated This is assumed in a recent
statement from the National Irrigation AS
sociation affirming that "oyer a hundred
thousand acres Of rice are Irrigated in
louisiana and the method employed by
the planters place them al the head OF
the world In rice culture. Their adyau-
tage lies IN irrigating in such manner that
they can cut their crops by machines in
stead OF by the ordinary method Of the
hand-sickle. Rice irrigation cCutemplates
a complete flooding Of the field and leaving
the roots under water. rice being an
aquatic plant. This being the case the
only way left for harvesting is for the ne
groes 10 wade into the marsh and cuJ the
grain by hand The Louisiana planters.
however. lay their fields on in plats and
throw up furrows around them. forming
little walls or Ievess. Then at the proper
time the water is turned in and the ruc
grows.
When the grain is just about matUred
these miniature walls are broken down.
and the water run Of. After several days
the ground is dry and frm enough 20 al
low horses and machines 10 80 upon il
and harvest IL as they would wheat or
other grains. This places the rice crop
Of Louisiana abreast OF these other crops.
whereas under the old method IL is a hun
dred years to the rear. What would next
years wheat crop be If its harvest were
dependent upon sickles? And yet with
the exception Of these Louisiana fields,
the rice crop OF the South is today irri-
gated and cut % IL was a century be
fore Brigham YCIng's. followers laid out
their FIRST ditch in the wiiGs Of Utah
That a very ,arge proportion Of SPANS
cultivated area Is under irrigation IS
shown by Mr.. Guy Y. Mitchell. who says,
The most prosperous agricultural
provinces Of Old Spain are the two in
which the soil is probably the poorest in
the kingdom But the valleys OF both
provinces are thickly scanned with irriga-
tion canals and the slopes are carefully
terraced for cultivation This explains
the paradox
"A very large proportion Of Spain cul-
tivated area is under irrigation. Almost
all the vegetables and garden fruits. lem
ems. oranges. and rice are grown by irriga-
tiOn while the grains. vine. and olives are
chiefly dry farmcd Supplemental irTiga-
tion is practiced. irrigated crops being
grown alongside Of uon-irIiEated. Ancient
and modern methods Of irrigation seem L
90 along almost hand and hand. Simple
water wheels are in common use 20 obtain
water from wells. the power employed be
ing a horse. and the method OF conveyance
small buckets after the ancient Egyptian
fashion. On the other hand many artesiau
wells have been sunk for irrigation. and
modern windmiIls are coming into use
The ,ojal irrigated area OF Spain is
nearly 3.CC0,0C0 acres. and some Of this
comprises systems Of great age ard OF eN-
peusive construction. In Valencia and Cat
alonia the water used is derived from swift
mountain streams whence it is conveyed
by long canals or acsquias along the noun
tain sides or by lofty aquedUcts TO the
fields on which il is to be used. Some large
storage reservoirs called pantarOs have
been constructed. feeding dense network
Of canals distributed over broad plains.
Many OF the old Irrigation works. such for
example as thoSs Of the plains OF TaragOns.
Gate from the time of the Romans. and
many others from the Moorish period
while new ones are being laid cut at the
present day.