The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-05
Mr.. MEAD HERE.
Continued from First Page.)

These subjects have only incidentally
been included in the previous work of
the Office.
Some of the arid states early abro-
rights, while in others the law is as
definitely established. In others it is not
yet settled by the legislature or the
courts just what is the status of the
rights to water While opinions may
differ as to what rights should attach
to riparian lands, there can be no diff
ference as to the fact that it should be
definitely settled just what those rights
are, and just what lands are riparian.
If all riparian lands have a right to a
reasonable use of water for irrigation.
and that right can be enforced against
those using water on nonriparian lands.
the owners of such lands, whether they
will or not, act as a menace to the use
of water by others. Nonriparian lands
may be much more valuable, but the
owners will not reclaim them knowing
that at any time their whole investment
may be rendered worthless by the use
of a previous dormant riparian right
If it is we'll known that these rights
exist no individual injustice is done
the only harm may be in preventing
development. But if it is uncertain
whether riparian rights exist large in
vestments made in good faith and with
every reason for success, may be robbed
of their value. The work of the irriga-
ton investigations of the office of ex-
pertinent stations is to gather such data
as may furnish rational basis for leg
iSlatiOn and court decisions on questions
relating to this important matter.
along most streams the lands first
reclaimed by irrigation have been the
low lands This is due to the ease with
which water can be brought to such
lands. AS settlement has advanced the
higher lands farther back from the
streams have been watered, with the re-
suit that much of the low land formerly
cultivated has been made unfit for use
fl1,< 1r-rfr h,
er lands. In other sections large areas
of land having little slope have been
ruined by the rise Of the ground water.
due to the filling of the subsoil by irri-
cation. In both cases the condition of
the land has often been aggravated by
the accumula ton of alkai near the sur
face. The alkaline condition of the soil
is uniformly attributed to poor drainage
and excessive use of water in irrigation.
The work of the irrigation investiga-
lions along this line will be to study
the engineering and legal problems con-
nected with the drainage of irrigated
regions. AS a beginning of work in this
line, plans will be made for a drainage
system adapted to the requirements of
the region in the vicinity of Fresno, CAL
where the ground water has in some
places come so near the surface as to
kill valuable vineyards and where it
| threatens the life of the horticultural
| plantations covering still larger areas.
| Work along this line is also being car
ried on in Colorado. by c. G. Elliott,
| former editor of the Drainage Journal,
! and ~one of the foremost drainage engi-
| neers of this country. The work will be
| extended in other regions as time and
| funds permit.
1.-The series of dry years through
which California has recently passed,
| led to the development of the under
| ground sources of water where it was
| formerly believed that the only avail
able supply was the surface flow of
| streams Many of the wells which at
| first flowed freely have since had to be
pumped, and in many places a pumped
| supply has proved to be cheaper than
! the old supply from streams, besides be-
| ing far more reliable. The experience
| of California in this respect has led to
| the establishment of pumping plants in
| other parts of the arid region, and to
| hope that a water supply may event
| ually be provided for vast areas of the
! great plains, which have been consider
ed as beyond the reach of a water sup
| ply from any source. The recent deveI-
| opments of the rice industry in Louis
| lana and Texas, where the water from
| the rivers has been raised by pumps
! and spread over high level prairies, have
| also added to the interest which is be-
| ing taken in pumping water for the irri-
| cation of lands which are beyond the
reach the water taken from streams by
| gravity. In most localities the avail
ability of a water supply by pumping is
| almost wholly a question of the ex-
/ penSe for power to run the pumps. The
| expense which it is profitable to incur
for this purpose is limited to the value
| of the crops which can be produced by
the water made available and in many
| places the cost of power and the small
| ness of the crop which can be grown
will prevent the use of pumps. 1t is
believed. however. that considera bic
| The long distance transmission of cleo
| trical power which has only recently
been in use, has made it possible to use
| the mountain streams to generate power
for pumping water for use on lands
which are beyond the reach of any
stream and still to use the water of the
stream to irrigate it's own valley. There
are still great undeveloped water pow
! erS in the arid region. Steam power,
generated by coal, wood and oil, has
also a great future and windmills are
| capable of a much greater use than is
made Of them at present. There are
some places where pumping can be
| made to serve the double purpose of ir-
rigation and drainage, removing the
| water from the lands which it is running
and bringing it to lands which are val
ueless without it. In such places great
er expense can be incurred than where
| only one end can be served.
More briefly the Office will as far as
it's resources permit, enter upon the
study of different kinds of power for
various agricultural purposes. There is
as yet little published information on
this subject and no systematic investi-
cation of the many problems involved
therein has been made The collecting
and publishing of data regarding the eff
ficiency of different kinds of pumps
engines and fuels, and the opportunities
for the development and transmission
of power for use in various kinds of ag-
ricultural operations will be first steI
in this enterprise. Very little atten-
ton has yet been paid in this country
to Investigations along many of the
lines of agricultural engineering 1t is
therefore, encouraging to have congress
,show disposition to broaden the work
of the department of agriculture in this
important discussion"
Feud Leads to a Fight.
jackson, Miss. Aug. 5.-A feud be-
tween the Gates and Bennett families
in Pearl River county, led to fight il