Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-07-08
IRRIGATION AN
GENT AND MODERN
Bits Of Interesting History Gov.
ering the Arid Regions
OF the Earth.

@@ NAa@ SAA &Ms
SPOKANE. Wash. July s.-sup.
plying moisture 10 semi-arld landa
by artificial means. one OF tho prol,.
lens Of worldwide importance 10 81
discussed BY experts Mt the aeven-
teenth session Of the national Irriga%
ton congress in Spokane. August .
TO IL, was practiced BY the Arahfans.
Egyptians. AsayFians and Chimeae.
long before the adyeRt Or s0lomom.
and Il has since formed = part of ghe
agriculture OF the countries border
Ing on che Mediterranean sea. rae
ancient ART had us origin In Amarien
In prehistoric times By the Pueblo
Indians. who inhabited portions 81
what are now New Mexico and All
Aona, aud their descendants were
stlll cultivatiRg the lands when the
lirNt spanish eolOnaass came from the
south several centuries ago.
4 census today would show TALLY
100000 farms In the Unitsd States
under bitches. watering more than
l6, 900 zoe acres OF lands. Colorado
leads In the number o. acres iFFi-
gated. California has the largest
number OF iFrigatora. while Washing
ton has the greatest percentage IN
the number Of irFIgators. me sell
enee Is also praeticed In Canada.
England. France. italy, Japan, tie
Argentine. South America. Algeria.
Australia. Switzerland. Bslgiam.
Denmark. Bohemia, India, Spain and
scotland. II II estimated that more
than $4,000. geo acres are under iF-
rlgation throughout the world.
History records that the valley Of
March. in Arabia. wan supplied with
water drawn from q reservoir made
BY dam 100 feet In height and two
miles In length. This wall was eoa-
structed Of hewn stones and u re-
strained the swift current Of an im-
portant stream for more than 2.0eo
years. Mention ID also made o. the
canal OF the Pharaohs. eonnectlng
the Red sea with Potassium. Flood
waters of the river were used 10 iFFi-
gate the valley OF the Nile centuries
before. and the plains OF Babylon
were literally eFiss-crOased with can
ais. some Of them hundreds Of miles
in length. The Romans aiso Oper-
ated vast systems. while the Chinese
supplied moisture 10 their rice lands
by artificial means before the Chris
ttan era.
Mormona settling on the shores 81
the Great Salt lake. In Utah. were the
hrst OF the BnEllah-speaklng people
TO make a systematic application %
the principles OF irrigation IN the
west.- They turned the waters OF the
wasatch mountain streams upon
their holdings. the prescott site Of
Salt Lake City. mastering the art
after years OF effort. Priests Of the
early missions also made use OF
water on the lands in southern Cali
Fornia. where today may be seen the
ruins OF pretentiouH works built ~
the Indians Placer gold miners in
California utilized the water from
their bitches for Irrigation purposes.
The result obtained In Utah AID
California induced settlers In OtheE
states aud territories 10 try the plan
and small tracts Of land were pat
under the bitches ln Idaho. waNhlng-
ton and Oregon The Indians in the
Clearwater country. In idaho. we're
the FIRST IN this part Of the country
to use artlhciaily supplied moisture
IN the cultivation Of crops. Rev.
Henry r. spanldlng. who came 10
the northweCz with DR.. Marcns Wait
man. mentioned this fact in bis early
letters 10 relatives In Nes England.
Less than s0.0o0 acres were undag
irriKssion In the United States IN
1879. bat during the neKt decade
the acreage vas Increased 10 i.oee.-
00O. The federal census shows
; .e5I Ash acres on SASS faFns ua-