Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-08-30

Plans for the approaching fifth an
nusl Irrigation Association of Ore
Ron, which is TO convene In Grants
Pass next week, are progressing
nicely and everything goes to indicate
that it will be one of the most i'm
portant gatherings of its kind. in
point of the number of speakers and
the attendance, ever held in Oregon,
or for that matter. on the, Pacific
coast.
This convention will not oonfine
itself merely to the important ques-
tion of fruit grower, but will also
deal with many other subjects Of
vital Importance to the people Of
this great commonwealth. Anything
that tends to develop and better the
conditions As they exist in Rogue
River aud in this state will be ably
discussed by the many excellent
speakers. One Of the drawing feat.
ures will he the presence Of all the
many government experts who are
to take part in the great National
Irrigation Congress, which assemblies
at Sacramento, CAL, next week and
these men will take a prominent part
in the many discussions which are to
be considered. Such topics as stock
raising. tim Der, minerals and the
encouragement Of manufacturing
industries will be handled in mas.
terly manner.
The sessions Of the convention will
be held in the new Opera House,
which has been thoroughly remodeled
and will now seat fully 700 people,
thus sffording most excellent place
for such an important gathering. The
conventio. meets each afternoon and
evening of the three days desigpstsd.
Among the many speakers will be
f. II. Newell, chief OF the U. S.
Reclamation Service, who will bring
with him some five or six expert.
from his bureau, who will also take a
no small part in the doings of the
meeting, as they will take up various
ph ases of the irrigation factor in de.
veloping the western coast, They
will have to do more especially with
the contamination and use OF water,
building of bitches, dams anA Other
mechanical features connected with
irrigation work. Farmers who art
now drowning their alfalfa fields by
treating the alfalfa plants as mere
pond lilies and fruit growers who art
flooding their orchards and are thu.
growing big, 'punky" apples anG
thus rendering the danger from lat,
frosts all the more likely, will find
that the discussions OF this con ventior
are decidedly timely and Of grea
value TO themselves. They viii
learn that although their slfslfi
fields ars receiving more water, ye
they are decreasing in the real vslu,
OF their market values, and that theil
orchal ds which have In years gone by
rarely ever failed. now have an IN
certain yield.
The forestry problem Is one Of un
told value aud importance to the Yves
and particularly to Southern Oregon
and this timely topic will be HANDLED
in mssterly way by Clifford Pin
chot. the chief OF the government
foresty service and he too Twin hAv,
with him several Of the experts from
his department, to render much assis,
snce in handling the many subject
long this line. As irrigation 4
Southern Oregon is very largely de
pendent upon forestry. 1t will be
subject Of vital interest. For, witt
the hills burned of and left bare ans
bleak. resulting in the fresbets Of th'
summer rains, pouring of rs from
the roof OF house and in winter tn,
snows melting IN a day, rendering
flowing streams one week aud th,
next showing a marked scarcity o
tile desired mnisture, and also con
tributing not little TO the climsti,
conditions, the winters being rem
dered warmer by improved treat
ment and the rummers much cooler
this matter will excite much atten
tion and comment. DR.. Elwoo
Mead, who is q recognized authorit
on irrigation laws and water usas
will be here. Press reports tell Of hi
recently having accepted positio
with the Australian government, TAX
ing hold OF this kind OF work, an