The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-10

pumping all the water from that stream
long before Il reaches Richmond. Or the
farmers ia the upper Colorado from ex-
hausting that stream before II reaches
Ii may be said that the engineering
problems are great There are engineer
Ing difficulties commensurate with the
advantages to be gained. ] simply bring
these eases to Illustrate the situation.
a second difficulty / have noted In
the canal system Is q too common ten
dency to defer securing necessary ma
chnery and Installing It TIL so late the
crop Is greatly damaged. As far as ]
have observed, l have found very few
large canals able 10 water all the rice,
due TO receive water, as early as 1t ought
TO have been watered a great many
acres Of rice never received canal water
this season TIL well into July.
Everyone Intended 90 do tho best they
could. Simply the canal men were not
prepared for such a season as this, or
they overestlmated their capacity to
water lands. In some cases the machin-
cry was not adequate TO the work re-
qured or was barely so. II everything
worked to perfection. In other instances
no allowance was mads for breakage OF
machinery or canals and consequent
delays. II Is a great rule to use dupli-
cate machinery and TO have 30 per cent
more power and capacity than necessary
II everything works TO perfection. As
an insurance against delays by breakage
OF other causes two medium pumping
plants In one building are better than
ono mammoth plant of equal capacity.
INTERESTING CANAL. PROBLEM.
My attention was recently called TO
n most interesting canal problem. One
OF the best equipped and managed canals
in Louisiana with ample power and plen-
ty of fresh water was unable to forca
enough water through a surface canal
$40 feet wide TO water over 600 acres
of rice during the extreme dry weather
prevailing the last OF June and forepart
OF July.
The main direction of the canal avs
south and southeast. 1t ls astonlghinE
now now a south or southeast wind viii
bank the wnter back and eadanger tho
leyees. All this goes TO show mat in
some cases at least sufficient allowance
mas not been made for the force OF tho
WHO'S and for the tan necessary to
force the water through the canal fasr
enough 10 provide the required supoly
al remote pO4nts.
That the fan should DO sufficient to
make fairly rapid current ia as neces-
sary as TO have ample pumping machin-
cry. In some canals the levees are TOO
iran ana the leakage Is enormous, These
matters VIII be corrected Ia time
The rice planters are In & measure
e blame for some Of the shortage in
the water supply, principally due to two
causes Their outside levoes are In some
cases too trifilng and leak water one
loss By leakage due to the farmers
amounted to one-slxth OF the entire wa
Yer furnished. The farmer NAV saw
wen, rs tho other partys water and
COSTS mo nothing" This is a mistake
THESE leakages must IN the end be made
Eooa by tho planters receiving water, by
an increase IN rent or by n failure 10
leduce rent whore 1t might otherwise 10
Another mistake on tho part OF tina
lblWer rs That there Is no general prep
AtAuon TO have a certain amount of rice
ready 20 receive water at "A given tine
Hne planter may b. In good season and
nave MS crop ready for water early in
May tie is compelled to wait dor the
iatgard9 and his crop receives no water
ull June. What Is the result2
flrst-AH want water about the sauna
hins ana can not get IT,
Second-Ihe early rice Is held hack ana
the late rice Ia crowded. throwing The
harvest at one time and not help enough
10 90 Il. This could easily be preventcd
II al the farmers on a given canal wouId
meet In December and agree TO have
snare, say ono-thirG. Of their next rira
crop ready for water the middle. Of Nav
or earlier ms ngreed, and another third
me tirst Of june and the remainder NOT
inter than Juno II. Make tho canal n
party Thcn there could be system,
economy aud promptucss Injected into
the rice Irrigation prublema