Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-09-13
SOME PROBLEMS OF
IRRIGATION IN
CANADA
Interesting Questions Come up
in Comparing Practise in
the United States and the
Dominion,

UlG OlIilGu OldtCo anu IVY
Dominion.
The following interesting compari-
son of irrigation methods in this coun-
try and Canada is ~republished from
the Success Magazine for September.
and viii prove of interest to the farm
ers OF New Mexico. The writer be
loves that the Canadian campaign OF
irrigation is being conducted more
| scientifically and successfully than in
this country.
It is a common saying that til
farmer is the most really independent
of mortals-that he can always secure
a living from his labor, even il he
can not always obtain the ~luxuries OF
life.
IN one sense this is true; in another
lamentabIy false. With the kh' WI
edge of modern methods IF farE'i"e
and with the results before MIN o. V
magnificent work of the department. a
agriculture in SO many directions. TIE
intelligent farmer can control most OF
! the conditions of his work as w"ll is.
II not better than, the busi1ess man
can control the conditions OF businhss
and competition. Every hug has IT
poison" and the danger of widespread
devastation OF crops over large areas
by the ravages Of insects or bacterial
growths has been greatly reddcnl by
agricultural research, and may, event
ually, almost entirely disappear. With
the increasing growth of population,
and the larger number engaged III
trade, manufacture an other profess
sions. whose food and clothing have
to be furnished by the agricultural
classes, the LANCER of falling prices or
excessive competition among farmers
need not be greatly feared.
In one important respect, however.
he farmer is seriously dependent upon
a condition quite beyond his control,
and that is-rainfall. The severe
drouth which has afflicted a large
Nttllilll u lilt tuENAAh 49,
during the past summer, while by no
means so serious as other |droughts of
the past, has certainly been important
enough in It's effects to eXemplify the
reed for a source of water supply Cor
crops Independent Of occasional rain
clouds. In many a farming section
some old, practically abandoned nail
dam. or natural water power eY'ais,
which can be purchased ana dive ted
into irrigation bitches at comDa' utiV Ely
small expense by individual on neigh
borhood cooperation, and the interest
on the cost Of the necessary invest
ment may easily prove to 1e heap
crop insurance for the farmer.
BE that as it may, it is, Of course
wen known hat large areas CT cur
great west have been, and ar" n " e.
Ing, reclaimed from sterile, aritl or
semi-arid conditions and m3ie .1to
fertile. food-producing IAN Is hy the
simple intelligent application Ct water
in the various public and private irri-
cation projects which are now form
ing so important a part Of develop
mcnt work i'm the west. IT is unfor-
tunatp, however, that these enterprises
have been, in SO many cases, hampered
by unWise and conflicting laws, and
that the real benefit to the farmer In
to be brought about by them
has partially, If not largely. failed in
the realization Private irrigation com
panics have, in many cases, been form
ed to carry out ambitious projects in
connection with colonization plans,
only 20 collapse before the compile
ton of the necessary bitches, leaving
the unfortunate c%olonists who have
been induced to invest upon the bril-
liant promises of the promoters
stranded and helpless. other projects, !
both public and private, have been
carried through TO a conclusion. and
irrigation commenced, only TO find ~ !
ter a year or two of successful irrioa
that the water supply oas been
1verdrawn or diverted INTO other chan
no n can b. found finan-
rially responsible tor the disappoint-
ments caused by Door engineering OF
r~ascally promotion. Even the great ir-
works of the United States
government in certain of the western
have not gone quite far
enough to bring about the largest de-
gree Of benefit to the sections ready
for irrigation. because Of this fact that
only the main and secondary canals;
the responsibility upon the IN
iividual farmer. or a group Of farmers.
.o bring the water from the - r1ndsry