The evening times., 1900-03-20
THE IRRIGATION OF Land
Regions Where Artificial Rain Is
in Demand.
Rice Fields Would Suffer if Depend
ers-Lessons Available From Prac-
ticaI Results in Spanish AEricuI-
turaI Precints-MOorish Workers.

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 TO be considered arid, is yet
unblessed with rain in sufficient quantities
to 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 over a hundred
thousand acres of rice are irrigated in
Louisiana. and the method employed by
the planters place them at the head OF
the world in rice culture. Their adyan-
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 cCntemplates
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 to wade into the marsh and cut the
grain by hand. The Louisiana planters.
however. lay their fields on in plats and
throw up furrows around them. forming
little walls or levees. Then at the proper
time the water is turned in and the rice
grows.
When the grain is just about matuTed
these miniature walls are broken down,
and the water run of. After several days
the ground is dry and firm enough 10 al
low horses and machines 10 80 upon it
and harvest it as they would wheat or
other grains. This places the rice crop
of Louisiana abreast of these other crops,
- =.
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 as il was a century be
fore Brigham Youngs followers laid out
their first ditch in the wilds Of Utah.
That very large proportion of SPANS
cultivated area is under irrigation IS
shown by Mr.. Guy V 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 thickIy scanned with irriga-
tion canals and the slopes are carefully
terraeed for cultivation. This explains
the paradox.
d "A very large proportion OF SPANS cul-
tivated area is under irrigation. Almost
all the vegetables and garden fruits lem
cns. oranges. and rice are grown by irriga-
ton while the grains. vine, and olives are
chiefly dry farmed supplemental irriga-
ton is practiced. irrigated crops being
grown alongside Of uon-irrigatsd. Ancient
and modern methods of irrigation seem TO
go along almost hand and hand. Simple
water wheels are in common use 20 obtain
water from wells. the power employed be-
ing horse. and the method Of conveyance
small buckets. after the ancient Egyptian
fashion. On the other hand many arteslan
wells have been sunk for irrigation. and
modern windmills are coming into use.
The total irrigated area Of Spain is
nearly 3.CC0.GG0 acres, and some Of this
comprises systems of great age and Of ex-
pensive construction. In Valencia and Cat
alonia the water used is derived from swift
mountain streams whence it is conveyed
by long canals or aceqUias along the noun
tain sides or by lofty aqueducts 70 the
fields on which it is to be used. Some large
storage reservoirs called pantanOs have
been constructed. feeding a dense network
of canals distributed over broad plains.
Many OF the old irrigation works. such for
example as those Of the plains Of TaragOna,
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.