Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-04-06

Lucknow. paid 20 per cent upon It's
cost in water rents during that year.
In other parts OF the p~Asvince, where
the construction was much more ex-
pensive, the receipts fell az low as
2.12 per cent.
In the Punjab province, the ex-
treme northwestern corner Of India,
adjoining A~fghanistan on the west
and Cashmere on the east, where the
water supply comes from the melting
SHOWS of the Himalayas, the govern
ment receives a net profit Of 1888
per cent, and the value of the crop
in the single year of 1902 was q
and one.fourth times the total amount
invested in the works 20 date.
This does not include a vast I'M.
dertaking known as the Chenab Ca.
nal. which has recently been com
pleted, and now supplies more than
1000, 900 acres with water. Its pos
sibilities include 5,527, 900 acres. AS
a combination of business and be-
nevolence and as an exhibition Of adj
ministrative energy and wisdom. IL is
remarkable, and is of especial inter-
est to the people of the United States
because the conditions are similar to
those existing in our W arid states
and territories.
II you will take a map Of India and
run your eye up to the northwestern
corner you will see a large bald spot
just south of the frontier through
which runs the river Chenab Tor Che
naub)-the name of the stream Is
spelt a dozen different ways, like ev-
cry other geographical lame in India.
This river, which is a roaring torrent
during the rainy aso and as dry
as a bone for six months In the year.
resembles several of u western riv-
ers. particularly the North Platte, and
runs through an immense tract of ar
i'd desert similar to those found In
our mountain states. This desert Is
known as the Rechna Doab, and un-
til recently was waste government
land, a barren. lifeless tract upon
which nothing but snakes and lizards
could exist. although the soil is heav.
lily charged with chemicals of the
most nutritious character for plants,
and when watered yields enormous
| crops of wheat and other cereals.
Ten years ago 1t was absolutely unin-
habited. Today 1t is the home Of
about SOC. 1000 happy and prosperous
people, working more than 200. 1000
farms, in tracts of from five to fifty
acres. an average of % acres each.
The average population Of the ter
ritory disclosed at the census of 1901
was 2l2 per square mile, and 1t Is
expected that the extension OF the
water supply and natural develop
ment will largely increase this aver
age.
The colony has been in operation
for a little more than eleven years.
The colonists were drawn chiefly
from the more densely populated dis
tricts Of the Punjab province. and
were attracted by a series of remark
able harvests, which were sold at ex-
orbitant prices during the famine
years. The land vas given away by
the government to actual settlers up
on a plan similar to that of u home
stead act, the settlers being given a
guarantee of a certain amount of wa
ter per here to a fixed price. The de-
mand caused by the popularity OF the
colony has already exhausted the en-
tire area watered by the canals, but
an extension and enlargement OF the
system will bring more land grad
ually under cultivation. the estimates
OF the engineers contemplating an ad-
dition OF 1000, 900 acres within the
next few years.
The value of the crop produced In
1902 upon 1.S30.525 acres of irrigated
land in this colony was $16,S45. 900,
irrigated by canals that cost $685.
$3.50. and the government enjoyed a
net profit of 14.01 per cent that year
upon its benevolent enterprise. Aside
from the money value of the scheme,
there is another very important con-
sideration. More than half of the
canals and bitches were constructed
by famine labor"-that Is. by men
and women flor women do manual