Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-01-22
We Publish Document in
Part This Week.
VALLEY TO BE WATERED
Committee Having Daily Meetings
to Consider Recommendation
OF Expert Cummings.

In an interview this morning with
the Board Of Directors, then in ses-
sion, we learned that the engineers
report has been on file In full since
Wednesday last. Since that time a
subcommittee have been going over
the same considering each recon-
mendation made therein.
We further learned that the re-
port embodies three distinct propos-
ais each of which are being consider
ed by the board and we are permit
ted to say that negotiations are in
progress with each of these interests.
Reading these negotiations, which
will probably take from 10 to IA
days, the Board are not prepared to
publish the full report but the fol-
lowing Introductory remarks of the
engineer in introducing his report
will b Of interest:
The Need Of Irrigation in Southern
Oregon.
The popular conception in regard
to irrigation Is that 1t is a practice
solely of benefit to the truly arid
sections Of the West. That there
Is profit to be gained through its use
In such sections as Eastern Oregon,
Eastern Washington or Southern
Idaho. Never was there q more er-
roneous conception. Irrigation Is
but means of artifcially making
up the deficiency In natural rain
fall. Perfect crop-growing condi-
tions require certain amount of
moisture In the soil. This mois-
ture Is just as essential as the plant
food in the soil. or in the sunshine.
II there be shortage in the amount
OF moisture at any time during the
growing season, abnormal conditions
prevail and crops suffer as a conse-
quence. The length of time over
which such shortage may occur Is
immaterial, for the plant must have
its moisture all the time, otherwise
1t suffers, It's growth is permanently
checked, and its producing power
destroyed. A few weeks OF drought
will cause just as serious damage as
a drought that extends over months,
and the sections having the short,
droughty periods are Just as badly
In need Of irrigation as the truly
arid sections, whose dry period ex-
tends over the entire growing sea
son.
Two years intimate acquaintance
with conditions in Soathetn oregon,
together with a number Of Yeas !nti-
mate acquaintance with arid condi-
tions In Eastern Oregon and Wash
ingtoD, has convinced the w;ler OF
the absolute need Of irrigation In the
Rogue River Valley and impressed
him with the idea that until irriga-
tion systems are providedthe fullest
development cannot be brought
about in this valley. There is a
human as well as physical reason
why the Rogue River Valley needs
Irrigation. The class Of investors
and homeseekers coming to this val
ley know the complete insurance II
provides against crop failure. They
demand safe investments, and until
Grants Pass and the surrounding
country can guarantee the invest
ments OF these men who build up
the country" the disappointment OF
having them go onto other sections
must continue to be your lot.
The average precipitation per year
at Grants Pass, taken for a 10-year
period, is 32.4 inches. The dlstri-
button OF this yearly rainfall, based
upon a period Of 10 years, is shown
in the following diagram, for each
month In the year:
II will be seen from this that IN
the winter months from October Ia
march S5 per cent OF the rainfall
Of the year occurs, leaving but 15
per cent, or approximately FIVE inch.
es Of rainfall distributed through
, the summer months from April tc
lseptember and OF this Ave inches 81