The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-07-22
HISTORY OF
IRRIGATION
IRRIGATION IS NOT MODERN IDEA
Was Praeticed by Ancients-MormOns
Wore the Pioneers Irrigationists
In America.


ust 8 to IA, was practissd by the
Arabians, Egg ptians, Assyrians aud
Chinese long befoIe the advent OF
Solomon and 1t has since formed a
part of the agriculture of the
countries bordering on the Mediter-
ranean sea. The ancient art had its
origin In America in prehistoric
times, by the Pueblo Indians, who
inhabited portions of what are now
New Mexico and Arizona, and their
descendants were still cultivating the
lands when the first Spanish oolonists
came from the south, several centuries
ago.
census today would show fully
$50, ,OO0 farms In the United States
under bitches, watering more than
l50, QUO, 200 acres of lands. Col RADIO
leads In the number of acres iIri-
gated, California has the largest mum.
ber OF irrigators, while Washington
has the greatest percentage In the
number of irrigatoIs. The science is
also practised in Canada, England,
France, Italy, japan, the Argentine,
South America, Algeris, Australia,
Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark,
Bohemia, India, Spain and Scotland.
1t Is estimated that more than 75,-
000, 900 acres are under irrigation
throughout the world.
History records that the valley OF
March, in Arabia, was supplied with
water drawn from reservoir made
by dam 40 feet In height and two
miles in length. This wall was con-
structed of hewn stones aud it re-
strained the swift current of an impor.
tant stream for more than 2, 0O0 years.
Mention 10 also made OF the canal
OF the Pharaohs, connecting the Red
sea with Pelusium. Flood waters Of
the river we're used to irrigste the
valley OF the Nile centuries before,
and the plains OF Babylon were liter
ally oriss OF ossed with canals, some
of them hundreds OF miles 10 length.
The Romans also operated vast sys-
TENS, while the Chinese supplied
moisture to their rice lands by srti-
fetal means before the Christian era.
Mormons settling on the shores OF
the Great Salt Lake, in Utah, we're
the first of the English speaking
people to make a systematic applica-
tion Of the principles of irrigation in
the west. They turned the waters OF
the Wasatch mountain streams upon
their holdings, the present site of
Salt Lake City, mastering the ait
after years of effort. Priests of the
early missions also made use of the
water on the lands In southern Gal.
itornia, where today may be seen the
ruins of pretentious works Guilt by
the Indians. Placer gold miners In
CaIifoi mia utilized the water from
their ditohes for irrigation purposes.
The result obtained In Utah and
California induced settlers in other
states to try the plan and small tracts
OF land we're put under the bitches In
Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The
indians In the Clearwater country, In
Idaho, we're the first In thispart OF
he county to use artitioially sup
piled moisture in the cultivation OF
crops. Rev. Henry II. Spaulding,
who came to the northwest with DIR.
Marcus Whitman, mentioned this fact
in his early letters to relatives In
New England.
Less than 10000 acres we're under
irrigation In the United States 10
1870, but during the next decade the
acreage was Incl eased to 1000, 900.
The federal census shows 1851, 48l
acres on "a, l36 farms under the ditch
In 1889, the ara doubling the follow
ing decade, due largely to the exten-
sion OF existing canals. A special
census in 1902 showed 1865 farms
with total of 9,034, 526 acres under
irrigation. Congress adopted the
national irrigation act that year,
which saw the beginning OF the oon-
struetion of work un1er the control
OF the secretary of the interor, the
fund being derived from the disposal
OF reclaimed lands. The law provides
that the cost OF th, work 10 to be ap-
portioned to the land and refunded
to the government In 10 yearly in
stallments without interest.
twenty five projects completed and
upon which the government is now at
work will, when fully developed, add
3, 1893, 600 acres o. land to the crop
producing area OF the United States,
while l3 Others held In allegiance un-
til the completion of the former. will
reclaim 3,270,000 aoree, making a
total OF 6, 468, 600 acres reclaimed at a
cost Of sl59, ,62l. 900
The largest of the projects In Wash.
ington are In the Yakima valley, as
follows: Sunnyside, $4,000 acres,
cost 81, ,60O,0O0; Tieton, 10000 cost
81, 500, 900; Wapato, l2O, 900, cost 81,
5000 Ihe Okanogan will water
5000 acres at a cost ot 5000, 600.
Other projects contemplated will add