Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-01-12
SOME 1NTERES T1N q
POINTERS ON EURO
PEAN IRRIGATION.
How 1rrigating is Done in a
Land Where the Annual Rain
4 Fall is Two and a Half
Times That Of Western
North Dakota-Some
Valuable Statistics.


agricultural department, Prof. Elwood
Mead presents an interesting report
regarding irrigation in Northern Italy
as seen by him during two months
visit in the summer Of 1908.
This report deals only with irrigation
in the valley of,the Pc. and the com.
parisons drawn between this section
and certain sections Of the United
States, will certainly interest the PEG.
pie Of North Dakota.
II may be surprise to some ITO have
their attention called to the fact that
Milan and Turin, the principal cities in
the valley Of the Pc, are farther north
than St. Paul or Portland.
Still more surprising is the statement
that the range Of temperature is from
100 degrees in summer to zero in the
winter and "the difference between the
average temperature Of the hottest
month of summer and the coolest
month Of winter is 80 degrees F." The
corresponding difference in North
Dakota does not exceed 70 degrees.
The most surprising statement in the
report. however, relates to the average
annual rainfall in northern Italy, Con.
sidering the great extent and cost of the
irrigation works one would expect to
find that the rainfall was very small
On the contrary. it is larger than the
SO called humid sections OF our own
country.
q For instance. at Milan. which is in
center of the irrigated arrear, the average
annual rainfall is more than 40 inches,
to be exact, it is 4057 inches. Whereas,
the average annual rainfall for Cincin.
aati is only 80 so. for Omaha, Neb.. only
26.4 and for Minneapolis, only 1885.
The contrast ls still more startling when
the 40 inch rainfall of Milan is COM,
pared with the 1926 inches for Sacra,
mento; 1870 inches for Denver and 6.72
inches for Phoenix, Arizona.
To people OF western North Dakota
who haye been trying. to persuade
themselves and others that their Is to
Is inches Of annual rainfall was sufficient
and that irrigation works were needless
or at least not worth their cost, the his
tory Of irrigation il the valley of the Pc
furnishes lesson worth studying.
d Another popularity Of the rainfall of
Northern Italy is that it is well dis,
Etributed throughout the year, being
some what greater during the irvigating
fsaason than in winter. as shown from
ss.:he following statement. ~ a'
Prom Decembe to March, ths aver
age rainfall is 2 to inches per month;
from April to September, to inches
per month land for October and Novem.
Der, to 5 inches per month.
With such an amount OF rain as this
one would hardly suspect that farmers
eau be induced to pay much for supply
of irrigation water, but from study Of
the charges for water as represented by
Professor Mead. it becomes evident
that the cost for irrigation water in the
humid climate of nurther Italy is little
if any less than the usual cost in the
arid regions Of the United States.
For instance, the annual rental on
one canal system mentioned is $l66 per
year for flow of one cubic foot per
second. If we assume for comparison,
that a steady flow during the irrigation
season OF one cubic foot is sufficient for
eighty acres, it is evident that the
annual rental is about 81 per acre, per
year. In addition to this forty annual
payments of about one-sixth the above
amount are required in order to secure
perpetual water right.
Another basis on which water is sold
affords one run Of irrigating water per
week at the rate of about 81 per acre
foot of water actually used. This is
equivalent TO covering each acre of land
three inches deep each week during an
irrigation season Of twelve weeks, at q
cost for the season of So per acre.
The above prices. it should be re-
membered, are in country where irri-