The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-01-07
ARID STATES PRODUCTIVE.
Wonders Accomplished by Irrigation
in Recent Years-Desert Made
to Bloom.


who have viewed with amazeipa emit the
magnificent fruits and grains from the
western states exhibited at the Louisi-
ana Purchase exposition-far nore nota-
bic in size, appearance and yield than
anything they ever saw in the eaJt-few
of them realize that these products were
borne upon lands which a few years ago
were useless deserts, but now made fer
tile by the art of irrigation.
No irrigation exhibits of prominence
were in evidence at this worlds fair as
such, yet i'll everything agriculture al they
formed a leading part, states the Chicago
Chronicle, and their withdrawal would
have left huge gaps and have taken
away the best. Had the productS of the
dam and the ditch all been labeled
Grown by Irrigation" the irrie alton en-
hibit would have been an enormous one.
The west is proud of its irrigation. Why
not thus call attention to its superiority
of production?
In grains and grasses Co.oradols exhi5-
Mt led easily, though splendid Sbowings
were made by other arid states A-Oregon,
Washington, Montana, Utah, California
but the centennial state showed 100
different kinds of grasses and 13G varie-
ties of grain. 1t had oats eight feet tall
and timothy heads eight inches long. 1t
took $40 prizes and SO gold medals, and
its separate fruit exhibit included almost
all the products of America except the
truly tropical.
Oregon had mortgage litter wheat
sever feet tall. Think of a wheat field
IN which an army of six-foot men would
stand concealed. And snOw-wnite on
ions six inches across. And IG1Ao and
Utah and New Mexico and all TIE west
set forth a dazzling display of irrigated
apples and plums, peaches and grapes
Of a color, size and beauty which it would
take a book to describe.
But ahead Of all the west in the extent
of variety of her exhibits stoo3 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 $250,000 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
c%reditable for a state. Such things
caught the eye as q 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
flies.
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 a single vine.
Practical methods of irrigation were
demonstrated at the government build
ing by a 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
trihuted onto the farms and orchards be-
low. Real water was running through
these bitches.
This great work Of Uncle Sans in Ari-
zona is progressing rapidly. A cement
mill. to make the 200, 600 barrels of &C.
ment needed in the masonry, is COM
pleted; a 500, 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
1ishing some 1000 electric horse mower
with which to build the dam. This is to
3e used to construct the giant works.
and thus the river will build its OWL dam
md form a reservoir the greatest in the
Omitted States.
OF all sizes and classes were the irriga-
ton mi exhibited in the farm imple-
nent 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 a striking example
of mans ingenuity in Harvesting tie ele-
wents.
The highest of these. built by II of the
largest windmill manufacturers. spread
its galvanized steel wings 120 feet in the
air and with a moderate wind pumped
20. 600 gallons an hour. The water
gushes up like a fine artesian well and
Supplies a ditch to irrigate a good-sized
farm.
What will Be the next irrigation ez,
hik:t at a worlds fair? Some say that
| for many years to come this is tie last
of the big international expositioas. IL
this be so, and it should be 10 or 20 years
before another great fair, when one does
come its irrigation exhibit is likely to