CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1909-08-19
the MARVELLOUS RESULTS
FROM IRRIGATION NOT
GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD

100 m81 vo1Oub 1cSu1l6 UcluB
brought about by irrigation in this
section Of the country In not gen.
orally comprehended by Eastern peo-
pie of the East. There is
transformation In conditions going on
that is little short OF magical. one
that is claiming the desert and add
ing unnumberer millions to the ma
tional wealth.
The popular idea among people in
the older states is that irrigation In
the West Is experimental. rather than
practical, and that 1t is only possi-
BILE on small tracts Of land lying close
to the streams. The limitations Of
water and the isolations Of lands sus-
ceptible to irrigation prevented for
years the settlement OF mountain val
leys, that, by the ingenuity Of man.
have been changed into veritable
Gardens Of Eden. Developmsnt Of the
semi arid country was difficult. in
deed, almost impossible. in q large
way until the governmsnt segre-
gated such lands ~ could be swatered.
and. under the Carey act, opened them
up for settlement
The crops grown on the little, vest
pocket ranches of Colorado. Montana,
Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico are
almost miraculous In their product
witty. This is nowhere more appAr-
ent than at Canon City and the sur
rounding territory; one OF the poineer
irrigated districts of the inter-moun-
tain region. Alfalfa is a sure winner
under irrigation and immense yields
of fruit. barley, rye and other crops
are grown wherever the magic touch
of water is applied. 1t is hard for
farmers in the east to comprehend
these big yields. They do not appre-
ciate that these inter-mountain soils
are often hundred feet deep, wait
ing for centuries, untouched in their
virginity. for modern irrigation meth
DDS to unlock the treasure house of
their wealth. II the average New Eng
lander or corn belt farmer were to
visit some of these pieces, he would
never go back to the old. inhospitable
conditions: II they would apply here
the same careful painstaking methods,
they would become little kings of the
soil, instead of working like drudge
six months out Of the year In order
to struggle through the other six
months. they would see the actual
exemplification OF the saying. Tickle
the soil with a plow and 1t will laugh
4 harvest" Instead OF conserving the
soil and spending the profits on fer
tilizers. they would find these irri-
gated soils OF the inter-mountain re-
gion inexhaustible.
Another peculiar fact, which east
erners unacquainted with western life
cannot understand, is that western
agricultural products need not be
shipped to the great commercial CEN
ters OF the east and middle west in
order to find a market.
IN Colorado, for instance. are popu-
lous communities. such as the great
mining camps Of Cripple Creek and
Leadville, that are non-producers of
agricultural wealth to say nothing Of
Pueblo. Colorado Springs, Denver and
other points that are constantly de-
manding food stuffs which the people
of their immediate localities cannot
furnish.
Poultry, eggs, milk. hay. grain, po-
tatoes and every garden vegetable
grown north Of Mason and Dixon line
can bs produced with profit and the
local demand ID away out Of proper
ton to the nunply