Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-25

When the gavel falls tomorrow at Pu-
eblo Cello, calling the eighteenth National
Irrigation congress into annual session, the
earliest and the latest ages Of American
history viii clasp hands over the gulf Of in
tervsning generations. 1t was the Pueblo
Indian who first pracriced the art Of irri-
CATION on American soil. When the white
man first looked upon this continent he be-
held within its borders a civilization Of IN
known antiquity. That civilization was
based upon an irrigation ditch, the latest
achievement Of twentieth century civihza-
ton Is the modern irrigated farm
Experts in the irrigation world are proud
Of the results accomplished in their field
Of endeaVor. The irrigated area OF the
earth is estimated al about g 108a 0o acres
or this one fifth lies within the boundaries
Of continental United States With I5.01l. 900
acres already fully OF partially irrigated
there yet remains an estimated area of
20 GO 0n acres susceptible 10 irri CATION
OF course the easiest accomplished pro-
jecus have received first attention, and the
cost Of future work viii become greater
and greater as the years go by. until only
the more difficult projects remain. II is
estimated upon the recent census returns
that q g1a loa people are living from the
crops grown on the lands made fertile by
irrigation Half Of these 800 600 families in
an. live upon the land directly, while the
other half populats the cities and towns
supplying tire commercial wants OF those
living upon the land II the same ratio
is maintained. lands 20 be irrigated In the
future viii be supporting a population OF
I085o 0B8 souls score OF years hencs A.
ready the crops grown from irrigated lands
o.
a year IN value.
Add 10 the irrigated area and the region
susceptible 20 irrigation the 80 Daa 900 acres
o. swamp land which may be made avail
able for cultivation, ard We have an en-
pine In prospect The Gay was when the
ard and semi-arid lands Of the vest and
ne swamp lands Of the east we're regarded
as the waste places u the nation But
IN the light o. tWenueth century methods.
these lands are destined 70 become the
granaries OF the ,ntsIrry- The ard and
seIui-arid lands Ter zA1Lg-nred generations
drinking up rns HElstu-e horne down 70
them BE- tina neIung or az-petual SHOWS
have become Tsritzbls rrgn2lJ,s houses Of
plant food Ire Wz1sc NJ ae irrigation
ditch, laden wirn tisc 'il7ygh substances
brought down ElIh 2 39H1z me mountain,
is the golden day that Zls1JgCs these treas
IRE HOUSES ane makes psvzahle an aEri-
culture undrsauea II y R1n-arld regions.
LksWise. lands thar lara been under water
for ages. are covered deeply with aluvia-
deposits brought down from the mountains.
or VITA the rich remains OF nyriads uf
beings that inhabit sea wafer
3 II Is the aim Of uhe Irrigation congress
- arouse the nation 10 the possibilities Of
these waste places Colorado vel may
play host 10 the congress. for within rs
boundaries there are more acres Of ir1i-
gated territory Lhan In any other American
commonwealth The statistics Of the De
pzrIment o. Agrculturs snow that il
A5"e9N acres Of irrisaued land are the
mainstaT Of iIz agriculture The state aver
aged 9s IS Per acre on its wheat crUp last
year. a. compared Eith . Ia Minnesota
g-D in Wisconsin. GI-= in uHnois and
. S-ss In AauszA The average yisld q oals