Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-30

$500 - @~s@&Ae
==...=ss.-7
lions Of modern ufO. American energy
called to life a vast REGION OF over 100000
square miles, which only a few decades
ago people regarded as a hopeless desert
1.-THE example of America has a very
important bearing upon the whole world
The possibility OF the success Of irrigation
under present condition has been proved
and now the time is not so far when many
deserts of the old world will hear the MUIR
muir Of water and the rustic Of foliage
Permit me then TO direct your thoughts in
the few minutes allotted to me, to another
country not less vast In extent than the
Unied States and remarkably similar .toi
them In its physical condltions--to Russia,
II regret to say that in the United States
the majority Of the people have a very dis
torted conception of Russia. Very few in
America realize that already 100000 acres
in our country are being irrigated, that
there are places where the inhabitants have |
never seen snow, and that we grow quant- |
ties of grapes, cotton, rice, oranges and tea. !
THE population of the Russian empire
amounts to about 150000.0 900 souls, and it's
area comprises nearly 5000 900 square miles. -
what Russia Has Done.
The speaker then dwelt at considerable
length on the natural features of Russia,
declaring that there are in that country
| four distinct regions that require irriga-
ion. and that the total area needing water
is at the present time 100000 square miles
| These districts, he said, are the south of
Russia. southwestern Siberia, Turkestan
and Transcaucasia,- He. described in de-
tail the conditions in these districts. say
| ing of the south of Russia s. n
4 ~ 'eThts reRiOn came -fnffis mr. r1oaaae sion
| a little more than 100 years ago. up to
coming of the nussfan, it's seantys
population had been leading nofnadic
i life. Therefore, for long time after
| the introduction OF farming the virgin
soil yielded to the Russian emigrants very
good crops, but now, owing to the con-
slant tillage. the crops are more and more
suffering from drouth. -
I'm order to determine the possibility
of irrigation in that region. the govern
ment sent a special expedition, consisting
Of many hydraulic engineers under the
direction of the wel-known General Jill
insky. The work of the expedition shows
that irrigation by gravity on large scale
encounters in southern Russia many OBJ
stacles, owing to the flatness of most of
the country and the insufficient fall of
the rivers. But II also shows that irriga-
! ton of many separate tracts can be cas-
lily affected by means OF reservoirs storing
snow waters and by pumping from rivers
and wells.
1.-THE irrigation wor.As established by the
expedition cost the government from 81 TO
} S. per acre for flood irrigation, and from
$40 to $50 for regular irrigation. The cost
! for maintenance and operation of these
systems averages 90 cents per acre annu-
: ally. The profits derived from the use
> OF irrigation amount to from Is per cent to
So per cent on the invested capital.
Dry Farming succcAsfuI.
: Although Russia has been in possession
r OF this country for about eighty years,
( 1t Is. owing to lack OF railroad facilities,
still inhabited chiefly by nomadic natives,
whose main occupation is stock raising,
together with little agriculture carried
on by means OF irrigation. The-Tishzvirgtn
soil Of this region. yields now AGED crops
Of cereals, even under dry farming, while
= under artificial watering. 1t Is an ideal
soil for the cultivation Of alfalfa and
sugar beets."
lie dwelt at length on Turkestan, say
4 ing: '"TlIrkestan comprises about 70O,OOt
! square miles. and it's soil EcaH be divided
a into three regions. the mountains, low
2 plains and the loess. As might be ex-
pected the mountain region is veFySrocky
and Ia used chiefly for stock raisIaig How.
ever. black soil OF considerable depth
can be found on many of tho pateaus
. where owing to comparatively heavy rain,
: fan. wheat and other cereals can be grown
> by dry farming
~ The soils of the lowest reglbns some.
. times even below sea level. usually consis
8 OF loose sand OF hard clay and Very Otter
= contain alkalL This region produces bu
= little grass and supports a very scant,
g nomadio population.
between these two regions lies at Al
" elevation OF from 1000 to 1000 feet tn
third and most important region of the so
- called 1oess. 1t Is the soil to the fertil
y ity OF which the countries of the orient
" and among them .urkestan, owe thei
existence and history.
las regards present day conditions W
find that in five provinces OF Russia
Turkestan there are about 100000 acre
permanently under irrigation. II we ad
to this about 35OO.OOO acres irrigated
Khiva and Bokhara-Yassal states of Rus
- slave shall have the totsa for the are
- irrigted in TuFkestan viz: n9boO,00O acre
According to our laws. all lands In Tui
!. kestan. not irrigated and not occupied b
= actual settlers. are the property OF IN
state Our government plans 10 irrigat
them and settle them with people frol
- European Russia. These lands will maxi
ideal homes for the emigrants, and cotto
~ viii be the most profitable crop,
"a The imperial Russian government reeol
], nizes the Importance OF the developmeI
=, OF irrigation In our country, and its abo'
"a mentioned works have been and are bein
done not for profit. but largely 90 ser,
as models for private undertakings E
We 4,hs hast ,,lastsr a. niece o. fann
as dampened with ChamberlaiRs hammer
$50 and bound on over the affected parts
In superior to a plaster and costs AohfS-on