The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-30
By G. Frederick W4siaht,, AIN. IL. D.
IRRIGATED FROM

the valley Of the Nile and the fertil-
1ty Afforded to the delta and to q mar
row strip along either bank through
means Of irrigation that little atten-
ton has been paid to the immensely
larger area dependent on irrigation in
central Asia; whereas central Asia sx-
ceeds, not only in the possession Of
a fertile soil capable of irrigation
many times larger than that of Egypt
and equally rich in character, but
also surpasses it in the uniformity Of
conditions which supply the needed
volume OF water. The delta and the
irrigated belt along the lower Nile
scarcely exceeds 10000 square miles
In extent and is incapable of much en-
largement by artificial means.
The recent dam at Assoun can add
but a few hundred square miles to
the area already under cultivation.
Moreover, the sources of the Nile, be-
ing far off in equatorial Africa, are
subject to various vicissitudes, which
render the supply of water in the
lower Nile somewhat irregular and in
secure. The waterfall over the drain
age basin differs more or less from
decade to decade and the outlets to
the great lakes, which serve as reser-
voirs, occasionally become so clogged
by the accumulation of vegetable mat
ter as to interrupt the normal flow
for number of years together. This
latter difficulty the English govern
ment Is endeavoring to correct by the
removal of the accumulations through
artificial means. How successful they
will be remains to be seen.
In central Asia the conditions "a
vorable to irrigation are connected
with the great mountain systems of
the region, three of which meet in
the center of the continent to form
the elevated tableland of the Pamir,
which is aptly styled "the roof of the
world" These mountain systems are
the Hindu Kush, which crosses the
northern borders of Persia and At
ghanistan; the Tian Shan, which
stretches away from the Pamir in a
broad branching belt to the north
east, and the Himalaya, which sepa'
rates India from Thibet. The plateau
of the Pamir, from which flows in one
direction the Indus, to irrigate the
plains Of the Punjab, the Anu Daria
(the ancient Oxus), which irrigates a
great belt in western Turkestan, and
the branches of the Tarim, which flow
CIV o,rI irk~ h1 1f N0|} ic
upward Of $4,000 feet above the sea
and is surrounded by various peaks
10000 feet higher.
The amount of land which is cap
able of being made fertile by these
mountain streams of central Asia is
sufficient to support the population o1
many an empire. To limit ourselves
to western Turukestan alone, we find
the Atrek river emptying into the
southeastern corner of the Caspian
sea. watering an area of marvellous
fertility which was formerly the seat
of the Parthian empire, a region
which the ancient historian, Strabo,
said was most highly favored of
AVoVOA, 1Au "Ac1c, dCCO1uluS ~ u1AA
a single vine had been known to pro-
duce nine gallons of wine and single
fig tree 80 bushels of figs.
Passing eastward, the Tejend river
coming down through the heart OF
Turkestan and after irrigating the un.
surpassed plains about Herat, disap
pears in an oasis of great fertility and
extent in the desert of Kara Kum
upon the north side of the Hindu
Kush mountains.
To say nothing of the middle por.
ton of the valley, which is bordered
only by narrow strip of arabic land
running like a thread through wide
deserts, we come to the remarkable
oasis Of Khiva Occupying delta
nearly as large as that of the Nile)
at the southern end of the Aral sea.
So completely is this oasis surrounded
by deserts that for ages the people
have enjoyed immunity from the at.
tacks of outside enemies. The story
which was effected about thirty years
ago, is one of the most thrilling and
tragic in all history. An attacking
army large enough to be effective was
pretty sure to die in the desert OF
thirst before reaching the oasis; while
an army small enough to make it's way
successfully across the burning sands
was too small to accomplish anything
at its journeys end. Time after time
the Russian armies which attempted
to penetrate this region from different
directions were bafaed by these condi.
tons and compelled to turn back after
heartrending disaster. At the same
time the ruling authorities of Khiva
had no restraint upon the barbarities
they could practice upon the weaker
tribes which were dependent upon ir
rigating canals running of from the
main stream. 1t was a simple matte,
to tap a canal and turn it of in some
other direction and thus speedily re
duce a portion of the people to the ex
tremities of starvation.
Going still farther to the northeast
one comes to the Zerafshan, whose
name is derived from the golden sand.
which it brings down from the noun
tains in which it rises. This stream
would be an important tributary of tn.
ANU Daria If it's water was not utilized
in irrigating the fertile plains arount
Samarkand and Bokhara, two cities O
great importance at the present time
but of still greater renown in the past
Under the name of Maracanda, Sa
markand was occupied by Alexander
the Great for a period Of two years