The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-11-15
RECLAIM ALTON
IRRIGATION PROBLEMS
Comparative
d by Prof. w. w. Mclaughlin, Logan, Utah.

SeDtemDer numDeF vi OuCS0oo Ni"S~
zine will no doubt be of interest &c
Ranch readers:
It is a common saying that the farm
err is the most really Independent OF
mortals-that he can always secure q
living from his labor, even II he car
not always obtain the luxuries OF lie
In one sense this is true; in another
lamentably false With the knowledge
of modern methods of farming, ano
with the results before him OF the
magnificent work of the Department OF
Agriculture in so many directions, the
Intelligent farmer can control most Oh
tbe conditions of his work as well as
if not better than, the business man
can control the conditions OF business
and competition. Every bug has lts
poison." and the danger of widespread
devastation of crops over large areas
nv the rayages of insects or bacteria
growths has been greatly reduced by
agricultural research, and may, even
tually. almost entirely disappear
with the increasing growth of popula
ton, and the large number engaged
in trade, manufacture and other pro
fessions whose food and clothlne
have to be furnished by the agrlcul
tural classes, the danger OF railing
prices or excessive competition amons
farmers need not be greatly feared.
In one important respect, however
the farmer is seriously dependent upoI
a condition quite beyond his control
and that is-rainfall. The severe
drought which has afflicted large
section of the Eastern United States
during the past summer, while by ne
means so serious as other drougnts OF
the past, has certainly been important
enough in it's effects to exemplify the
need for a source of water supply
for crops independent of occasional
rain clouds. In many farming sec
ton some old, practically abandoned
mill dam, or natural water power ex
lists, which can be purchased and oil
verified into irrigation bitches at com
paratively small expense by 1ndlVld
ual or neighboorhood cooperation, and
the interest on the cost of the neces
sary investment may easily prove tC
he cheap crop insurance for the farm
er.
Be that as it may, it is, of course
we'll known that large areas OF oul
great West have been, and are no"
being, reclaimed from sterile, arid OF
semi-arid conditions and made into
fertile, food-producing lands by the
simple intelligent application OF water
in the various public and private irri
CATION projects which are now form
ing so important a part OF development
work in the West. 1t is unfortunate
however, that these enterprises nave
been, in so many cases, hampered by
unwise and conflicting laws, and that
the real benefit to the farmer intended
to be brought about by them has par
TALLY, if not largely, failed in the re
alization. Private irrigation com
panies have, in many cases, been
formed to carry out ambitious projects
in connection with colonization plans
only to collapse before the completion
of the necessary bitches, leaving the
unfortunate colonists who have been
induced to invest upon the brilliant
promises of the promoters stranded
and helpless. Other projects, both
public and private, have been carried
through to a conclusion and irriga
ton commenced, only to find after
year or two of successful irrigation
that the water supply has been over
drawn or diverted into other channels
and no one can be found financially
responsible for the disappointment
caused by poor engineering or rascal
ly promotion. Even the great irriga'
ton works of the United States gov
eminent in certain of the Western
sections have not gone quite far
enough to bring about the largest de
gree of benefit to the sections ready
for irrigation, because of the fact that
the government constructs, as a rule
only the main and secondary canals;
placing the responsibility upon the in
dividual farmer, or a group Of farm
ers, to bring the water from the Sec