The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-10-01

barren stretches rendered valueless by
the rise of alkali and to the troubles
and controversies which arise over the
division and use of water.
Most of these troubles are Of our
own making. This is the penalty we
pay for our mistakes. If less water
were wasted the rise of the ground
water and the rise of the alkali would
not be so troublesome factors, and il
we had started out in this work of re-
claiming the desert by irrigation with
better laws on our statute books gov
erning the appropriation, diversion and
use of water, there would have been
fewer legal battles over water rights.
The beneficial effects of irrigation
should not be lost sight OF on account
of these drawbacks.
l believe so implicitly in the advan-
tages of irrigation that l have come
here to urge the use of more water on
the dry larms. l know you have other
remedies which have for their object
the production of larger and more val
liable yields and l trust that you will
test these remedies to the fullest eX-
tent. Some think that the proper Sc
lection and breeding of seed will do
much to overcome arid conditions;
others pin their faith to suitable Gull
tural methods, another class advocates
the rotation of crops, and still others
would conserve the soil moisture by
summer following and other means.
have nothing but commentator for all
of these remedies, because I believe
they are important factors in the So
of |
it distinctly understood, however, that
in my humble opinion none OF these
remedies are deserving OF first place
in your deliberations. II the estab-
lishment of permanent and prosperous
homes is your main purpose, then the
utilization of water wherever and now
ever it may be obtained is OF first I'M
pOrtance.
AS many of you know by actual ex-
perience, one of the chief drawbacks
of the dry farm is the difficulty en-
countered in securing water for the
home and the corral. Both man and
the domestic animals under his care
must have water to drink and fam
lily soon wearies of driving stock long
distances to the nearest water mole
and of hauling water in barrels from
the nearest spring or we'll for drinking
and culinary purposes.
Again, the sunshine is so intense IN
summer that shade trees around
home are a necessity to comfort and
even to happiness. If to shade trees
one adds small family orchard, a
vegetable garden, a patch of clover or
alfalfa and sufficient water to keep all
nYiSt
the essential elements required 10
make a country residence attractive.
Water is not only needed for house
hold and stock purposes and Tor the
irrigation of trees, lawns and gardens,
but it is the most important factor IN
the production of field crops. The soil
is fertile, the climate favorable, but
the proper amount of water is fire.
ouently lacking and low yields or crop
failures result. If the dry farm coulo
only obtain and apply the water which
the irrigator wastes it would greatly
increase the yields from arid LANDS
Winter Irrigation.
BY winter irrigation" is meant the
application of water to the soils out
side of the regular irrigation season.
The latter seldom lasts more than four
months. During the balance OF the
year, particularly in the early sprlns'
a large quantity of water passes the
dry farms on it's way to the ocean.
This water is not utilized by either
the dry farmer or the irrigator, yet 1t
is capable of producing valuable re-
suits. If one excludes the Great Plains
region. where there are few rivers, and
considers the more mountainous por-
tions of the states and territories west
of the Missouri River, there is present
ed a well-nigh limitless opportunity for
the diversion of water from western
streams and it's application to dry