Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-25
THE IRRIGATION CONGRESS,
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

When the gavel falls tomorrow at
Pueblo, Col. calling the eighteenth Ma
| tional Irrigation Congress into annual
| session, the earliest and the latest ages
Of American history will clasp hands over
the gulf Of intervening generations. 1t
was the Pueblo Indian who first prac-
ticed the art Of irrigation on American
soil. When the white man first looked
upon this continent he beheld within
its borders a civilization of unknown
antiquity. That civilization was based
upon an irrigation ditch; the latest
achievement Of twentieth century civil
cation 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 at about
100000 acres. OF this. one-fifth lies
within the boundaries of continental
United States. With 100000 acres al
ready fully or partially irrigated, there
yet remains an estimated area of 10000
600 acres susceptible to irrigation or
course the easiest accomplished projects
have received first attention, and the
cost of future work will become greater
ana greater as the years go by, until
only the more difficult projects remain.
1t Is estimated upon the recent census
returns that 100000 people are living
from the crops grown on the lands made
fertile by irrigation. Half of these, 3OO,-
OOO families III all, live upon the land
directly, while the other half populate
the cities and towns supplying the COM
merc1al wants Of those living upon the
land. If the same ratio Is maintained,
lands to be irrigated in the future will
he SllnnOrfinQ NJ y
souls a score of years hence. Already
the crops grown from irrigated lands
IN the United States approximate a quar-
ter of a billion dollars in value.
Add to the irrigated area and the
region susceptible to irrigation the
100000 acres OF
Swamp Lands swamp land which may
to Reclaim be made available for
cultivation. and we
nave an empire in prospect. The day
was when the arid and semi-arid lands
OF the west and the swamp lands of
the east were regarded as the waste
places OF the nation. But in the light
OF twentieth century methods these
lands are destined to become the
granaries of the country. The arid
and semi-arid lands. for uncounted
generations drinking down the mois-
ture borne down to them by the melt
ing OF perpetual SHOWS, have become
ver1table treasure houses Of plant food.
The water Of the irrigation ditch. lad
en- with the mineral substances brought
down with 1t from the mountain, is the
golden Key that unlocks these trea-
sure houses. and makes possible an ag
rlcuIture undreamed Of in non-arid re-
gions. Likewise. lands that have been
under water for ages are covered
deeply with alluvial deposits brought
down from the mountains or with the
rich remains Of rnyriads or beings that
inhabited sea water. -
1t Is the aim Of the irrigation con-
gress to arouse the nation to the posi-
bfl1ties Of these waste places Colo
RADIO well may play host to the con-
gress. for within its boundaries there
are more acres Of irrigated territory
than IN any other American common
wealth. The statistics of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture show that its g.
SOC. 900 acres Of irrigated land are the
mainstay Of its agriculture. The state
averaged $1s.66 per acre on its wheat
Minnesota. ;12.19 in Wisconsin. sI1 ~ in
Illinois and $3.50 In Kansas. The aver
age yield of oats was valued at 1888.
as compared with 5000 in Wisconsin,
ana SO on down the scale Tor all the
middle western states. For barley the
per acre yield was valued at $1912, as
compared with 1896 for Wisconsin,
and for hay 1t was $19.47, against
$13.14 in Wisconsin, the best yielding
state in the middle west.
There will be many interesting lessons
OF the possibility Of irrigation shown in
the big exposition
Enormous Yield that is part of
~ p.&.4... the irrigation con-
gress Colorado will
tell Of a potato yield of SAT bushels to
the acre in the San Luis valley, and a
Rocky Ford cantaloupe yield, the profits
of which would make Midas seem a
pauper in comparison. Washington will
exhibit products from the finest orchards
in the world. and Nevada, New Mexico
California, Utah. Montana, Idaho and
other states will illustrate by photo
graphs and by products what a great
agent irrigation is in empire building
Then there will be an exhibit of every
kind Of irrigation machinery the world