The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-05-12
GIVES THEM
WET STUFF
SECRETARY THOBURN
TELLS OFIRRIGATION
IN OKLAHOMA
alra-e-a--
JOLLEES THE KANSANS
Shows How Irrigation viii
Help SunflOwer State.
JOLLIES THE KANSANS
Special to Daily Leader

Special to Daily Leader.
Topeka, May l2.--rhe Herald win have
.-.e following thia evening"
J. b. Thoburn. Of Guthrie secretary
Of the Oklahoma board Of agriculture.
| Is in Topeka today to cau on f. ID. Co
/ burn. secretary Of the Kansas depart
ment Of agriculture Mr. Thoburn Is "a
former resident Of Kansas He was
reared at Peabody. in Marion county.
and secured his education at the Kansas
| State Agricultunl college. For "a num-
Der Of years after his removal to Okla
/ homa Mr.. Is~hurn was engaged in
newspaper work but when the territorial
4 department Of agriculture was organ
fYed two years ago and provision made
\ for N" secretary. he was selected to I'LL
that petition. which he has since occu-
pied.
/ During the two years Of his work he
/ l,as been able TO get the department
nicely started and It has become very
popular with Okah farmers One
Of the most important accomplish
ments OF his administration has been
in connection with the subject Of ir-
rigadon in the territory. Oklahoma
now has something like three million
dollars TO her credit in the national
( irrigation fund and plans are being
formulated for the construction Of ex-
/ tensive irrigation works in Southwest
| ern Oklahoma. in speaking Of this
matter today Mr. Thoburu said:
Climate Changes.
"I notice a late Interview from Con-
gressman Reeder Of Kansas and was
particularly impressed with what he
said with regard to the climate changes
which seem to be now taking place in
Kansas as it seems to confirm my ob-
servaticp and impressions. There are
many evidences TO substantiate the
claim Mr.. Reeder puts forth. For In
stance, the question may be asked, why
has Kansas not experienced such
drouths dring the past ten years as those
which distinguished the years 1874.
/ 1881, 1887, 1SSS. 1898 and 1894
/ again, why is it that in CSatral
Kansas, where up to ten years ago It
was necessary to frequently reseed
well kept lawns with blue grass and
! clover, such n-.e1ice Is no longer nee
essary but on the contrary it is mat
ter Of general observation that both
/ blue grass and clover are spreading
/ by purely natural means along road
sides and in pastures? There Is rea-
son to beiive chat such a change is
due i'm part at least TO the settlement
/ Of Oklahoma and the cultivation Of its
lands II this be true, # follows that
] nd - F5,~. f,.-F
cation purposes in Western Oklahoma
win indirectly be OF great benefit to
/ that part Of Kansas which IS swept
by the prevailing Southwest winds
which play from over such an lrri-
gated section. curing the growing sea-
son.
As to Windbreaks.
"The question Of windbreaks and
shelter belts is also an important one
in this connection. The fact that the
cooperating power OF the wind in
creases with it's velocity has been
( demonstrated to a mathematical cer-
alnty Every orchard in the prairie
regions OF Kansas. Nebraska and ok
lahoma should be protected by wind
breaks on the south and west There
is reason to believe that the old-fash-
ioned, untrimmed Usage orange hedge
rows more than compensated for the
space occupied and the fertility and
moisture consumed. The value OF
such a hedge row as an agent for the
! conservation OF soil moisture through
decreased wind velocity has never
been full appreciated In Oklahoma,
whore the wire fence prevails almost
70 the exclusion Of the hedge fence.
this matter Is already attracting con-
siderable attention.
First irrigation.
THE first irrigation enterprises TO
I be inaugurated IN Oklahoma by the
federal government viii be located
along the Southern and Western bases
OF the Wichita mountain system.