The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-15

struction cost of systems: Utah ranked second in the number of farms and third in the construction cost: and Colorado rank third In the number of Farms and second in the construction cost In total irrigated area, Colorado ranked first; California. second. and Montana. third.
 For the arid region the average con- struction cost per acre was ss.14. and the avearge per irrigation system was s2.71o.
 Semiarid Region.
 For the semiarid region as a whole, U may be said that ordinary crops can not be grown more than three years out of five without the artificial appii- cation of water. The soil, however, Is, with few exceptions. as fertile as any m tne United States. and with sufficient moisture produces large yields of any crop suited to the temperate zone. In this region the number of Irrigated farms increased from 4.Ss7 in 1898, to 1.ozl In 1909, or 43.4 per cent, while there was a gain of $2.212,s47, or 76.S per cent, in the construction cost of systems. The largest relative increase was shown for North Dakota. In this region Nebraska ranked first and Texas second in the extent of irrigation.
 Irrigated Rice Fields.
 Although rice Is grown in nearly all Of the Southern States, the practice of irrigation in its culture is confined principally to the coast counties of the Carolinas and Georgia, to the Missis- sippi delta, and to the cnastai prairies of Texas and Louisiana. These coastal prairies were considered to be fit only for grazing until experiments in 1897 proved the peculiar adaptability of the soil for rice culture. Then many farm CTS fro mthe States of the Middle West went to this country and engaged in the cultivation of rice. They intro duced improved methods and modern machinery. and there was a wonderful development in this industry. Now tnousands of acres are being irrigated annually for the production of rice.
 In Louisiana the year 1902 was a year of great extremes. The growing sea son was marked by excessive drought, while the season of harvest was one of great rainfall The increased number of pumping plants drew so hea4ily up- on the rivers and bayous in the prairie region that their levels were lowered and salt water came up from the Gulf and caused considerable damage, In order to prevent similar occurrence. dams costing many thousands of dol. lars have been built or are being plan ned, and additional Ievees have been thrown up.
 Humid States.
 Irrigation in the humid States is practiced largely as an insurance against the draughts that occur early in the growing season. In 1902 irriga- ton was reported from Maine, Massa- chusetts. Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York. New Jersey. Pennsylvania. Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. In fha NaNu nA sylvania 1t was confined principally to hay meadows bordering on small streams. A few farmers reported the Irrigation of vegetables and small fruits. and exceptionally large yields were obtained.
 Tn the winter of 1Sy4-95 nearly all of the large orange groves in Florida we're destroyed by frost, and many of inc fruit growers were compelled by circumstances to engage in truck flaming. They used their irrigation plants in the new work and the yields were improved and the profits became greater. Since the value. of irrigation tn truck farming was demonstrated in this way many farmers have installed plans that may be used for irrigation purposes when needed. In this State the progress of irrigation has been re- markabie; great variety of crops are irrigated, and the irrigation systems are among the most modern in the country.
 Drainage Basins.
 The future development of the arid and senni-arid country depends large- ly upon the volume of its streams and the utilization of as large a propor- ton thereof as possible, and. in order that better knowledge may be had of thA aKfanf n uyhioh being used. the statistics are also pre- sented by draInage basins.
 The Mississippi River drainage basin ranks first in importance for irriga- ton. The Mississippi valley proper is q region of ample rainfall but the great Western tributaries of the riv- CT How through land where Irrigation Is of the utmost importance, and al- most one-third of the total irrigated area of the arid and semi-arid regions is supplied by these streams. The wa ters of this drainage basin supplied D. 906,665 acres on 27.9S9 farms. It's s. os0 systems, with 2o.135 miles of ca- nals and ditches. cost $20,494,070
 The Great Interior basin includes the most desert-like part of the arid re- gtons, and, except in isolated localities agriculture without irrigation is lm- possible. Throughout this basin the demands of irrigation have exhausted the normal flow of all the streams, and in years of light snowfall in the noun tains, crops suffer severely Conser- vation of the floods On nearly all of the streams will have to be resorted to In order to allow more land to be irrigated.
 The reports for this basin show 22.- BOB irrigated farms with 1.575,757 acres. The systems numbered 3,324 and cost s10,505.5so. In this basin there were s.O27 miles of canals and ditches.
 The Columbia River basin was third in importance in 1902, with its 6,47o systems irrigating 1,28S,s35 acres on 19,1o6 farms. TiMse systems with 1o.- 373 miles of canals and ditches cost $10. 767.664.
 The Colorado River. both in length 2,OOO miles-and extent of drainage rea-approximately 225,0O0 square l one of the greatest rivers of | the arid west. However. the discharge l of the Colorado River, direct, is less | than that of many of the small East | ern rivers because of the extreme | aridity of the country As A result of l