Chicago eagle., 1901-10-12
The VALUE OF IRRIGATION.
THE SUBJECT TREATED BEFORE
THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION.
Professor Elwood Mesd's Testimony
Great Aid to Agriculture Fully Set
Forth-Ihs Area Requiring Assistance
Enormous Values to Land Thereby


The valuc of irrigation as an aid to
agriculture and the enormous value that
would be added to the land of the arid
region by providing it with water was
discussed before the industrial commits
sion by Professor Elwood Mead. Prof
Mead was formerly the State Engineer
of irrigation of Wyoming. and he Is
now expert in irrigation of the Depart
inent Of Agriculture. He declared that
irrigation is destined in the near future
to occupy in the United States lead
ing place in national affairs.
Heretofore irrigation has been look
ed upon as sectional industry, but the
experience of the past fifteen years has
shown that this is mistaken idea he
said. "1n southern Louisiana and SOUTH
eastern Texas an area larger than many
New England States has had its value
increased from S2.5o TO S. an acre to
from $50 to $Ioo an acre through this
agency, and promises ip the course of
another ten years to make this country
an exporter instead of an importer OF
rice. All along the Atlantic scaboard
irrigation is becoming an essential adj
junct Of market gardening. the appli-
cation of moisture being found as prof
table as that of fertilizers. The irriga-
ted districts OF Italy and France have
an average rainfall equal to that of the
New England States and recent expert
cnce in the middle West seems to make
certain that the lesson of the new world,
like that of the old. is to be that no
agent of agriculture or horticulture Is
so effective as the ability to apply mois-
ture at the right time and in the right
amount"
In about two-fiths of the United
States. exclusive of Alaska and the
recently acquired insular possessions, he
said. the ability to grow crops is dc.
pendent on irrigation This is not be-
cause the land lacks fertility, but be.
causc its lacks moisture. Wherever this
has been supplied the land becomes cx.
ceedingly productive. In seven States
and two territories irrigated agricul-
ture is the chief resource. The cities
Of Denver, Salt Lake. Los Angeles and
many other towns of lesser size and i'm.
portance arc as much the creation OF
irrigation as the orchards and fields
which surround them. Without the
winter forage which is grown in the
irrigated valleys of the immense stock
ranges of the West. .he suffering and
losses of range cattle and sheep would
every year be disastrous.
Owing to the lack of accurate records,
in many States OF any records whatever,
We do not know and cannot know the
number of mileage Of irrigation bitches
and canals, or the area which they wa
ter. 1t Is known that there are over
10000 bitches and canals in Colorado
and about 6ooo in Wyoming. There
are more than 5000 in the United
States. In the construction of these
there has been expended not less than
$2oo,ooo.ooo. and over $500 has
been expended in the construction of
bitches and latcrals and in preparing
land for the distribution of water over
it without taking into account the fences
and habitations necessary for the culti-
walton OF this land.
Continuing. Professor Mead said:
"The States of Wyoming. Idaho, Color
ado and Utah. in accepting the Carey
grant to actual settlers at so cents an
acre. and as these States have the priv
ilcgc of selecting the best lands, within
their border and lands known 10 be
susceptible of irrigation, this can be
taken as the estimate of those best in
formed of the average value of unim.
proved arid land. After irrigation land
values range from S. to $Ioo an acre in
the northern half of the arid region, and
from $40 to $1,000 an acre in the south.
crn half, the high-priced products of
southern California and Arizona being
the cause OF the greater values in the
south The enhanced value of land Is
no, the only evidence of the wealth
created by irrigation in the arid West
1t is more strikingly shown in the aug
mcnted values of rivers. To illustrate
this II may be stated that right to fifty
inches of water in California recently
sold for $4,000. This was a wholesale
price. 1t is worth more at retail. The
estimated value of the rights to Color.
ado streams is $oo.ooo,ooo. This does
not include structures for diverting
but represents the valuc of the titles
to the streams in their natural channels
In the East the use of water has not
as yet become sufficiently systcmatized
to assign it any particular value as a
mcrchan,ablc commodity. In Texas
and Louisiana the party furnishing
water for rice irrigation receives one
third OF the CROP In other sections Of
the East ii depends on the cost of the
service. and is but little influenced by
the value OF the water itself"
Professor Mead dwelt upon the need
for aN irrigation code and for a deter
mination whether the State or Nation Is
to deal with the question OF the control
OF the water courses.
"Thc area thus far reclaimed Is far less
than that awaiting irrigation" he said.
"The great rivers of the arid regions. the
Snake and Colorado-are as yet almost
untouched Practically all their waters
run unused to the sea. The area irri.
gated by the San Joaquin and Sacra.
mento Rivers in California can more
than be doubled. and similar illustra-
tions could be made in every State and
territory of the arid region. In the
humid section irrigation has only just
begun, but the fact that during the past
five years Louisiana has brought lar.
ger acreage under irrigation than any
arid State shows the possibilities OF this
form OF agriculture in the humid East,
The thing most needed to promote this