The Imperial press., 1904-06-11

kttuMn itlt WNlVA NNFEs Ntltl llNill NH NAf -u remote that the beginning i~ lost in tue haEc ui tune Whether this iS br. cause mcu's miud~ afc su constituted that they scvk like remedies lur like dc- ticirncirs ui Natur, ur whether one fam. ily at one time spread over the earth and ~u disseminated common know. ledge. i- a question for cthuulugi~tr and ar.haculuglst- tu answer. Certain it is, that irrigation K one of tho oldest nnd, iu ~omc ways, one uf the least apprvCiUt- c,l ut the adjuucts ut Ngrlcul,urc.
 Though su ancicut aud widely practi-- c,i. the Auglu-SaXuu never dealt with lt in a large way until the last haii-crn. tuty when hc found it to bc the iudis- I-.n-Ablc contingent to settlement ut Wrstrrn America, Australia and AirlcH. lu preceding centuries the art hnd lcvn the exclusive I,u~sc--inn of the Indian, the Muuguliun aud the mixed races ut southern Eurupv Modern traces "t it arc first found in this country, iu CHli. fornia, in the small gardens nf the Mis- sion Fathers, who, a- history seems tn indicate, wrrr first taught it's value aud ncCcsslty in Mexico.
 When, little more than a half.ccutury ago, the Anglu.SuNpu dIi enter iutp the work. it was with the ,uer-y and th"r- uughucSs characteristic of his race. He was not satisfied with knowing that plant life required water, he studied nud rxpcrimcntcd as tn why, when nud how In the hands ui the Indians. MexiCans and Mungul-. irrigation WH- d staguant art in the hands ot the An glo-SaXon IL k applied science. The dam construstrd across the Nile ut A--uan, under the direction ut the Brit. ish government. rcclaim- au area twice the size ui khudr Island and increases the proiuctiycurSs uf Egypt at least - Der cent. Nor need one go -o far atirld io find examples of stuprnduus cusin- cering for irrigation purposes. The Swcetwatcr, Bear Valley and llrmct datus, are all familiar illustrations oi what has been done in California with. in few years. The Imperial and Modesto Turlock developments are ot still more recent date. In lSS6, .oO4. OOO acres were under irrigatsnn; at the present time probably more than 2,jpO,- OOO acres are included in the various systems oi California. The plan ol the United States government for reclaim ing the desert along the Colorado cm- braces an area capable of supporting a greater population then are now living in the celebrated valleys of the Po and Nile.
 I'm. foregoing gives some idea of what the Anglo.SaXon has done. i- doing uuI hopes to do with this ancient aericul- tural practice which has -o long awaited his direction. Irrigation is Il growing factor and thrnugl, II will come higher realization of the economic iud-ucud- ..,t.... .f th.. fut.ttit t.nft un1 r.V.ruul of the percentage of land-owncr-hip and tenantry prevailing among the industrial workers uf the great cities.
 As ancient civilization reached its Zenith in lands made fertile and pro- ductlye by irrigation, so in time to come we may look for the highest type and development of Anglo-Saxou civil ization in regions where agriculture, the true industrial basis, has ccHsc,l to bc q lottery dependent on the caprice oi the clouds and has become n positive science.