Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-04-20
CHEAP IRRIGATION FOR
ROGUE RIVER VALLEY
Less Expense to Operate Pumping
Plant Than to. Build and
Use bitches.

|
cessfully at minimum Of cost is the
problem that is now engrossing the
time and attention of the farmers
and gardeners of this beautiful Rogue
River Valley of ours. Irrigation no
longer is theory, hut an established
fact and as such we must accept it,
il We, who look to agriculture for a
basis of our standing as community
and prosperity, are to remain in the
running. Therefore, it behooves us to
look into and carefully examine
infinitely every irrigation project or
problem that might present itself in
order that we may take advantage of
the best systems and apply them to
ourselves. Foi irrigation, to us, is in
its infancy, We might say. new born.
and from personal knowledge acquired
by the writer in our immediate neigh
borbood there are almost as many
systems spoken of and adocated as
there are far mers and gardeners.
California today, of all the states,
stands pre-eminent in point of sue
@ ssful irrigation, and has set pace
for production of agricultural pro-
ducts that has put hustle on the
ether states, and noticeably our state
of Oregon, to keep in the markets in
very many lines. 1t has not been
caused by the fact of having any bet
ter soil than we have. in fact far from
it. One acre of Southern Oregon and
especially of Rogue River Valley soil
il, in the writer's estimation, worth
for quality and productive quantity,
two and one-half acres in any part of
agricultural California. But the
chief reason OF the recent agricultural
success is owing to irrigation by
scientific and economical methods.
In view of government experiments,
Of individuals irrigating by flooding
the land is worthless, in fact, injur.
ious. The proper dehuition of irri-
cation is to insure having moisture
or water when needed and not to
water at any or all times because
one may have it at their command /;
therefore, users of water must be edu-
Gated either by experience or instruc-
tion.
Is there any excuse for the use of
nine feet of water in one locality and
only two in another where conditions
are similar, and where the man using
only two feet produces a larger and
better crop? The only excuse is
egligence, lack of intelligence or
laziness. and the man using nine feet
will find, when too late, that his land
is ruined and his efforts tor naught,
and he must seek new location and
damn the country he is leaving, when
there is no one to blame bot himself.
Irrigating by bitches while success
full still has many drawbacks. 1t is
wasteful. 1t occupies or takes upland
that could be profitably worked, 1t
is always source of care aud annoy
ance and it is expensive in building
bitches and maintaining them. for
they must be permanent aud expensive
in cost per annum for water 10 ad-
dition they are pestilential, becoming
breeding places fer mosquitoes and
malaria. In localities where there il
no other method of procuring water,
however, bitches aud their attendant
evils must be endured We in the
Rogue River Valley therefore are
blessed two-fold. first. in the fact
that we have no universal system of
bitches aud that we have under our
feet an immense body OF pure water,
the fnest in the lsnd, and at almost
any place we wished to dig can strike
water in any part Of the valley at
depths varying from 10 TO 20 feet
In addition to having more water
than we know what to do with,
we ARE uncommonly blessed in the
fact that it is soft; that it contains no
calcareons deposits or formations nor
slkali and can be adapted to any use
This property of softness for irriga-
ton purposes is valuable one, for
no matter how cold it may come out
of the we'll, even though it were
pumped right into the garden, it
would not injure the delicate tendrils
or roots of vegetables or grasses.
Theie is not man, woman orchid,
hardly residing in this beautiful val.
ley but what Is aware of these facts
concerning our wells and water, but
what troubles us the most, is the
method, or the means Of distribu-
tion.
The irrigation Of land by means Of
pumping is now receiving marked
attention and people are beginning to
realize that the vast areas, where
bitches do not exist or are not pos.
IN =. N