The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-27

tba sorras Of nature, since the very De-
,.rrfrzs Of our settlements. since the first
st-mDts at planting colonies on the At |
Isnfic coast OF what r. now United States |
territory. he has fought against and over !
come the most gigantic physical obstacles 1
and. Incidentally settled OF hand, as II /
were. questions Of government equity and T.
diplomacy that have arisen In his tri- /
umphaut march from ocean 10 ocean.
Viewed IN its larger sense. then. the /
ninth annual session OF the national irri- |
cation congress. just held at Chicago, IS 4
an event Of great Importance. Without !
any c0gulzance OF the personal aims and /.
ambitions OF Is members, it may be as |
serted that the mere keeping OF the sub |
jrct before the people, the retention OF /
50 IN the public mind as a question OF /
national significance will ultimately inure |
10 the vast benefit OF the country at
large. More than 90 per cent OF our area.
90 was asserted az a previous meeting of
this congress. supported only 6.0000 600 in
habitants, when, II judiciously watered
90 could easily sustain at least 20 900 coo
We eNpcnd millions every year in rebuild
ing levees, repairing the losses occasioned
by floods and striving, as the saving is 10
stop al the spigot what is really wasted
at The bung. II has at last become an
parent 10 farsighted Americans that the
proper mode OF procedure Is 10 20 right
70 the sources OF supply and there con-
irol IN their inception what would other
wise prove devastating foods and deluges.
RainfaII Affects Population.
A glance at the charts isspe5 b,, ,bo
last census viii show that the most darea-
ly populated areas Of the United States
lie In those Of the greatest rainfall ana
though This fact may be affected bv the
question or accessibility, stiu IL IS only
IN a modified form. The relative values
oI larm lands also show that while in
the SECTIONS OF greatest rainfall and those
"here irrigation Is already established
l4Hus may be worth S5.000 and more Der
S4udte nile, In those containing the So
.dIIld ara sections they are rated at
hN per square miles or less-in fact as
practically Valueless. Since the connie
uon or the census OF 1890, with IFS sng-
Gestlve facts and figures. the peonIa ~
the United States have done a great doaI
ol thinking. and, having come to the CON
clusloh that what is beneficial To a few
ihliilons or the nations people Is also
DeheuciaI TO all have through their renre-
sehlduVes IN Congress authorized r,-
uoIiaI recognition OF the subject OF irri-
ba'loh' congress has made tentative an.
ilopriauoh5' as We'll as granted tracts TO
uso neteral states, and the Department
y, nslnuI'ure mas rendered valuable as
slstahce In experimentation through tba
medium Of its trained Specialists
III now appears. in fact thar the 6rooa
ed buSbear OF the transconti,ar,aI O.
heers' the Pacific 'fOrty-niners'' and tbaj-
successors-that great American dasor,,,
VIII soon become a thing OF the mast
~ mas Deen fugitive for several wears
as new States and Territories hava hao,,
s'aked out and filled up with hardv IN
habltants' and now the irrigationists baro
got IL on the run and seem likely ~ ohaso
II INTO IT'S hole. In fact, the great Ar,a,I
can desert is destined TO vanish ,,t,or,,,
rom the earth. and its epitaph. aIraady,
i.,Tn I'm IA ADVANCE on its tombstone will
be, Water did itP' VIII
"dter can do II. and the witcbery os
~ih transform the sterile tracts
tI' .oi 'iie farms and cause the desert m
,, Dl'ooh dS the rose. What il can do his
:. SS Deeh SHOWN In those States where
H10 peeh applied within the past few
% writer remembers a trim ne
I'm aSIoSS lhe southern section OF
'ne arid region about twenty wears ago
luIhace' ana II seemed Impossible tbat
any living thing could endure n ~,
subsequent trip across the same section
ne suddenly became aware of a chance =,
temperature, the shimmering sands waro
tAchahsed Tor dusky glades, the murm,,r
OF waters nlled the air, and on every side
was Diossoming vegetation. All had been
accomplished IN the space of a few wears
ty the mere boring OF artesian wells and
tHe piAhtlng or trees and flowers in tba
irrigated soil where before il was imnos-
s.ole TO raise single shrub in the ter
I-ble and continuous heat.
Great Area May BE Irrigated.
The arid region of the United States IS
populdTly supposed 10 comprehend Ari-
INA, southern California, Colorado, Ida
no Montana, and New Mexico, the por
u'hs OF oregon and Washington lying to
The east OF the Cascade range. an6 TTtab
and Wyoming. The extent of the arid area
is computed at about 06.0O0, 600 acres. ard
il were made billion a few years AGO
thls figure might not have been exces-
hiEe since much OF il is of a nature nre-
Guiding accurate survey. AT least two
thirds OF this area, il has been estimated.
Is available Tor irrigation, and much of
Inc remainder can be utilized fur forest
conservation and the building of vast
storage basins for the waters Of rivers
that would cause great destruction If
their spring floods were uncontrolled
Not less than half a million acres bava
already been brought under irrigation ana
made 10 yield their wealth Of fertility mar
for uncOunted centuries lay dormant in
the arid soil Space would be lacking to
enumerate the thousands OF individual and
communal efforts at irrigation, and even
The notable transformations OF great
States like California. Idaho, Wyoming.
aut Utah must pass unnoticed. These IN
stances have become known 10 all, and A.
would be a work OF supererogation 10 cite
them IN this connection. But il is known
the world over that never since the art Of
Irrigation was discovered and applied have
such magnificent results eVentuated as
from It's application TO the parched soils
o. otherwise uninhabitable regions.
Nature never does anything by halves
or without reason. In other words, a
GFine purpose is manifest in every pro-
eess-!u every accumulation Of coal. in
ever! suJterranesu storage Of petroleum
'A every hidden deposit OF gold. AT the
'sat time. and when most needed na-
lures treasures come 10 light. And so Ii
may be said of irrigation. Where wafer
is most needed 10 develop the latent re-
sources of the soil. there We find Just the
Esht combination Of soil and climate 10
yield the richest results. With a h.sh
temperature and consequent absence of
1o.a throughout the year, with a volcanic
sol or one IN which are salts soluble In
Na'f- and convertible into the richest sort
W plant food, the necessary conditions
are already present for the most remun-
""l!'e returns al a moderate outlay. As
" ."e advantages of irrigation in general
Oi method by which one can control
rs water supply, In effect the rainfall.
s able TO supply the growing crops
- Just the amount necessary for their
y1 gfo"th and maturity at the proper
''''7-'Aefe Is no question whatever.
What Irrigation Docs.
irrigation In fact lnsuTes abundant