The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-11-01

Assuming that the area OF 1rrlgaDle
land is greater than the stream can
serve. the average discharge of the
stream during the period mentioned
provided it is regular in it's habits-is
the volume that should be diverted
and this factor will fix the limits of
he undertaking, both as to the size OF
the canals and the area to be re-
claimed. The exact capacity of the
canal will depend upon the average
depth of water required each day on
the land to be reclaimed during the
period of greatest use.
When two or more cuttings OF hay
can be made from the land, and when
there is a great disproportion between
high and low water, both stages occur
ring during the growing season, ana
when the storage facilities are. entirely
Inadequate the question becomes conl-
MEX. water right in most cases is
understood to be the right to use water
during the entire growing season OF
crops and land values will be found to
he based upon this kind of right.
The question to be decided In nXlhs
the capacity of the canal under sucn
conditions is, in reality, what KIND Oh
water right shall be given to the
land? Shall it be given full seasons
right or shall it be a flood right!
which means: Shall we limit the area
of land to be developed to the unused
norton of the low-water discharge OF
the stream or shall it bear a certain
relation to the flood discharge?
Where Reclamation Service STANDS.
significant change has taken place
in. the attitude of the people OF the
west toward the reclamation service.
When the work began four years ago,
saws the Irrigation Age, there was
heard on all sides the statement tnat
the government should not interfere
with private development. Fears were
expressed that in the great WORKS 10
be built the government would In
some way interfere with money-mak-
ing by individuals.
In one sense it has been impOssl-
ble not to interfere with private enter
mise since on nearly all projects
some individual or another has made
filings on lands or waters and was
endeayoring to sell these filings TO
eastern investors. The construction
by the government of single large
project, developing the country to us
utmost, has frequently, in the mlnds
of promoters at least, interfered with
their smaller schemes. This condl-
ton is being changed. All OF the pro-
iects to be considered during the next
few wears have been determined upon,
and all questions of private rights
have been practically settled by pur-
chase or agreement. Now comes the
demand for more work, ana III Inc
anxiety to extend operations he pro-
moters have forgotten their rear tnaI
the government would Interfere WIN
private enterprise, and are more lear
full that it will not interfere In the
sense that it will not buy out the va
riOus claims which are being oHered
for sale.
The experience of the secretary OF
the interior in buying these claims and
in extinguishing the various vested
rights under different projects has led
TO extreme caution. There is little
probability that it will make any fur-
ther purchases until the works now
in hand are completed and are re-
funding money to the treasury. The
demand for a large increase to the
reclamation fund does not meet with
much sympathy from the authorities
who have been endeavoring to nego-
tate these purchases.
The Irrigation Age, of Chicago, says:
'.The alfalfa fields of Washington, Ore
gon and California are like everything
else in the western wonderland-they
must be seen to be appreciated"
In the Big Hole country in Montana,
near Twin Bridges, there will shortly
be constructed an irrigation ditch TO
/ water some 10000 acres. T. I. Black,