The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-01-26


hibit would have been an enormous one.
The west is proud of it's irrigation: Why
not thus call attention to its superiority
of production?
In grains and grasses Colorado,s exhib-
it led easily, though splendid showinga
were made by other arid states-OregOn,
Washington, Montana, Utah. California
but the centennial state showed LOG
different kinds of grasses and 100 varie-
ties of grain. It had oats eight feet tall
and timothy heads eight inches long. It
took $40 prizes and 80 gold medals, ard
it's separate fruit exhibit included almost
all the products of America except the
truly tropical.
Oregon had mortgage litter" wheat
seven feet tall. Think of q wheat field
in which an army of sfx-foot men would
stand concealed. And snow-white on
ions six inches across. And Idaho and
Utah and New Mexico and all the west
set forth a dazzling display of irrigated
apples and plums, peaches and grapes
of color, size and beauty which it would
take book to describe
But ahead of all the west in the extent
of variety of her exhibits stood Cali
fornia-that vast strip of golden land
reaching from Oregon to Mexico and in
Guiding the vegetable wealth of the trop.
les.
Fruit is the mainstay Of the Golden
state and $250,O00 is represented in her
showings at st. Louis. The great palace
of agriculture was the largest building
of the exposition, covering 16 acres, and
it seemed as If one would never get out
side of the domain of the California ex-
hibit. Single counties made showings
creditable for state. Such things
caught the eye as a life-size elephant OF
English walnuts, the state capital build
ing constructed of almonds, the famous
Lick observatory done in dried fruits
and big enough to contain several fam
lilies.
The wine exhibit took the grand prize
above all foreign competitors. The most
luscious and enormous pears, peaches
oranges, lemons, grape fruit, plums,
cherries and all kinds of huge vegetables
were stacked in rich profusion alongside
of great branches and clusters of fruits
of all kinds, showing how things can
grow under irrigation. The grape
punches of California are almost of the
Biblical kind, requiring two men to carry
one single bunch. No man can carry the
product of single vine
Practical methods of irrigation were
demonstrated at the government build
ing by model of the Salt River valley
in Arizona, showing the great govern.
ment dam now under construction in the
mountains and the system of bitches
and laterals by which the water is dis
tributed onto the farms and orchards be-
low. Real water was running through
these bitches.
This great work of Uncle Sam in Ari-
IONA is progressing rapidly. A cement
mill, to make the zoe, 900 barrels of &C.
ment needed in the masonry, is com.
pleted; a $100, 900 mountain road, to con.
vey the dam material from Phoenix
is finished and, most remarkable, the
river itself has been carried through
tunnels around the dam site, and is fur
nishing some 1000 electric horse power
with which to build the dam. This is to
be used to- construct the giant works
and thus the river will build its own dam
and form a reservoir the greatest in the
United States.
OF all sizes and classes were the irriga-
ton pumps exhibited in the farm imple-
ment department of the ST. Louis fair
but more striking than these were
the windmills. These busy machines,
rearing their tall heads above the sur
rounding buildings and whirring gayly
in the breeze formed striking example
of mans ingenuity in Harvesting the ele-
ments.
The highest of these, built by one of the
largest windmill manufacturers, spread
it's galvanized steel wings 120 feet in the
air and with a moderate wind pumped
10000 gallons an hour. The water
supplies ditch to irrigate good-sized
farm.
What will be the next irrigation ex-
hibit at a worlds fair? Some say that
for many years to come this is the last
of the big international expositions. II
this be SO, and 1t should be Is or 20 years
before another great fair, when one does
come its irrigation exhibit is likely to
overshadow everything else in agricul-
ture. The west IL at the beginning Of
great things. The government has un-
dertaken the work of national reclama.
ton of the desert and is pushing the work
rapidly. Vast engineering works huge
dams and canals-are being constructed
in the western states and territories, and
as the work proceeds the people will
realize its wisdom and worth, and It will
be pushed forward still faster. AS En-
gineer Savage remarked: ct is an en-
trancing work, is it not-this creating Of
homes for men out Of desert waste"
FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS. 5
Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup has
been used for sixty wears hv millions Of