The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-13
CONTROLLING THE WATER SUP

SS&S A4<S4A<4&Ne AGAA W - @ @&~ - - PLY.
 In a recent issue of The Oregonian there is a strong editorial on the subject of irrigation, and an argument for its more general use in that State. The ed- | itorial begins as follows:
 When one considers the age of irriga- | ton and the extent to which it has been practieed in both ancient and modern | times. it is remarkable that here in ore, gon, where there is so much aria lana and so great opportunities for reclaPa- ton. we have been so long in awaKng | to the importance of the subject. Of course. readers of History do not | need to be told that irrigation as an aid to agriculture is as old as civilization or agriculture itself. One has but to read history to learn that artihciai wa teriug of growing crops was one of the most ancient Egyptian industries: It is not merely that the histories. records and | traditions of that country establish the | antiquity of the practice, but all travel lers speak of the extent of the business and of the standing evidences that it was praeticed in the most remote life of the nation. Remains of irrigation works so ancient that their beginning and their builders have passed even from tradition are to be found in all parts of Egypt, showing that 1t is an art probably as old as the country itself. In Egyptian, Hebrew and Oriental literature the sub- | feet occurs SO frequently that we know it was considered among the most i'm portant arts of their existence.
 | It is very probable that the annual ris- ing of the Nile. overfowing the broad flat lands contiguous to it's course. gave | to the anoent inha bitants of that region their first conception of the benefits of an artificial water supply. They saw that the flooding of their great river not only watered but fertilized their iand and n was but natural that they should extend as well as control that aid to agriculture so as to reap it's benefits in regions re- mote from the Nile and which its waters could not reach by natural means. The result was irrigation works and ditches' assisted by rude pumps or other means of raising water, and thus large tracts of country became independent of the | natural rise of the Nile.
 From Egypt as probable starting point | the industry naturally spread to other | countries. In India China and other ori- ental countries 1t has existed from time immemorial. and more lately it has spread England and other nations, it is fast be- coming as regular a part of farming and gardening as is planting and gathering the crops. The governments encourage and stimulate the practice and every where it is tried its beneficial results are apparent.
 In the United States this method of in. creasing the water supply of farms is practically in it's infancy. though t has | been tried to a considerable extent in california and other Western States. and always with good results. In fact we nave seen frequent statements from per sons in the arid regions of the West who have given it fair trial and who de clare that they prefer it to the natural rain fall. They say that by proper meth ods of irrigation they can not only cen. trol the supply but can apply it just wher and where they find it needed, two advan- tages. as all farmers can easily see. | In Alabama this method of watering IaAds is almost unknown. In cities peo pie water their yards and gardens, bu T such a thing as irrigating crops by arti hcial means is practically an untried art yet there is no reason why this should bt true. Dropghts are common and the rain fall uncertain. and students Of hygrom etry tell us that the uncertainty is in creasing all over the country. A partia
 CT total failune of crops from lack o rain is not an unusual occurrence, and | is time that a remedy was adopted. Ther' are many portions of Alabama where ar tifcial irrigation would be successful ant not difficult The lay of the land is ia favorable and the water supply ample Windmills small steam engines, electric
 power, or even horse power, can he mad
 available to raise the water. Tn nan.
 places there are falls or favorable "itu.
 tons for dams by which the "a' : cEut
 be elevated without machinery. The frs 
 cost of dHches. canals, machinery. etc.
 would be considerable, but after that th cost would not at all be irr proportion t
 the benefits derived.
 In this connection 1t should he borne il
 mind that the water of most of our riv
 CTS and other streams contains fertlizinl as well as irrigating qualities, and thu
 double benefit would be obtained. Ever
 the water obtained from artesan wells il
 not whole destitute of qualities beneficia
 te plant life, as has been sscertained h.
 experiment. but even if there was nothing
 of the kind in any water the advantag of having a water supply under contrc would be incalcula5le. The farmer wh
 would be practically independent of tn l seasons would have an immense advan
 taee over those who depend entirely O P the uncertain natural rains. We are per suaded that the time Hill come in Ala
 hama when all who can do so will cen trol crop watering as certainly as the,
 do their blowing.
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