Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-21
IRRIGATION CONVERTS STICK
0. Y. Baker Of Colorado Tells Why
Modern Method Wins.
DOESN'T REQUIRE PROVIDENCE
Expert Declares Artificial watering
of Land CoIOrs Fruit aud Produces
Certain ResuIt-, whereas
Rain Fails.

IL one Of the prominent orchardists aueno-
ing the Land SHOW. once they become
acquainted with the ADVANTAGES OF land
watered by irrigation bitches. they never
20 back 20 the old methods Of agriculture
and horticulture that demand so much OF
overworked Providence.
zone Of the greatest advantages Of irri-
cation Is IN the regulation Of moisture
saws Mr.. Bakor The farmer in the rain
belt must depend entirely on precipitation
and too often he finds either too much or
too little rain il is seldom that nature
provides the proper amount OF moisture at
the proper time. with system Of irriga-
ton the agriculturist or the horticulturist
does not need TO depend on rainfall, but
with his flood gates and bitches he can
regulate the moisture to q fine point. One
OF the great advantages Of irrigating Is
the possibility Of regulating color in fruit
Moisture CoIors Fruit.
with the proper amount Of moisture at
the right time growing fruit can be colored
70 the right tint, greatly increasing its
market value. Color has a great deal to
do with the sale Of fruit. for color indi-
Gates flavor and fun maturity. There are
many advantages in irrigation. but these
are the principal ones
Colorado is pre-emnently a fruit grow
cipally by irrigation" OF vast Importance
to Colorado is the passage OF the certificate
amendment to the future withdrawal bill
by the national congress last June. This in
sures S2O.OOO,OOO for the inauguration and
completion Of western irrigating enter
prlses OF the government, and Colorado's
share Of the proceeds will be about $25OO 900.
To build CannI soon.
Colorado's senators and representatives at
Washington have expressed the opinion
that the proposed High Line canal in the
Grand valley. will be built at once About
100000 acres Of land in that district will be
brought under this ditch, and it is said
that the land is equal in quality to that
already under cultivation there, ranging
in value from $500 to 5000 per acre. The
Uncompahgre project, of which the main
feature is the Gunnison tunnel is practi-
cally complete, and will require but a small
portion of the states share of the pro-
ceeds OF the bill There is no other govern
ment project under way in Colorado.
The total area irrigated in Colorado, in
Guiding districts not reported to the state
engineer, is 2,262OiO acres. and the total
area to be irrigated by schemes already
under way is estimated by the state en-
gineer at 2,52S,7i7 acres. A report issued in
july 1910, by the United States Department
Of Agriculture differs from the latter
figure to the extent OF saying: The total
under canal which It is possible to irrigate
is 100000 acres in Colorado"
Much Land UncuItIvated.
The government report is authority for
the statement that there are 100000 acres
OF uncultivated land which could be irri-
gated lying In the newer sections OF the
state over 100000 acres are watered from
the South Platte river and its tributaries
while there are more than half as many
in Arkansas valley and about an equal
number In the Rio Grande watershed. The
remainder is scattered through the state in
various smaller valleys
In the language of the government re-
port; "In a general way IL can be said
that all OF the waters of the South Platte,
Arkansas and Rio Grande rivers can be ap-
propriated for irrigation. The limit of irri-
cation along these streams is the quantity
of water they can deliver, An average OF
l,623,O00 acre feet of water escapes through
these streams each year IL ii were pos-
sible to divert all this water either into
canals or reservoirs It would reclaim $40 OOC
acres Of land, allowing 20 acre feet OF
water per acre.
SeeRRge Increases supply.
This quantity OF water applied to the
age, return and make stn more watel
available for reclamation Probably 10000,
acres more than are being supplied at pres.
ent can be reclaimed on the water sheds OF
these streams. No less than five projects
are under consideration for divertinE the
waters Of other streams from the western
TO the eastern slopes OF the mountains into
the watersheds Of these three streams b,
means of tunnels and bitches through the
mountains.
Some OF these projects have assumed
quite large proportions and will De con
structed at some future time. To wha
extent they will reclaim land 1t Is lmpos
sibe to state, as not enough exploration
work has been done to justify an estimate
The streams in the western part Of tn
state run through narrow valleys and area
which II is possible to irrigate from then
are quite limited.
II would be difficult to say i'm VIVA
county OF the state the most rapid prog
ress Is being made in irrigation. In Mes
county, on the western slope, are eleve
projects which are progressing rapidly 10
ward completion. These will irrigate AZ q
acres when finished and will cost approx
mately Sl6Sl6,00O. The water has alread
been turned on 6O,OOOO acres OF this lant
the method OF construction make II posi-
BILE to utilize certain percentages Of III
total supply as unit after unit Of the va
rious plants is finished.
Pueblo county comes in for a larg
share OF the new projects. There are CON
panies witch will ultimately irrigate lli,u
acres OF land. These systems will COZ
s2s69,OOO. The big Colorado Southern sy,
TEN, which is being constructed for n
most part In Fremont county, will ais
benefit Pueblo county. as 1t is eXpecte
TO irrgate 10000 acres in Pueblo. lei Pas
and Fremont Several Of the contracts I,
its construction have already been let.
ROutt County Prospects.
In no county In Colorado are irriEa tiC
prospects better than in Routt sever
ggantic projects have been filed and su
veyed. and there Is practically no dou
OF the construction, within the next thr
years Of IN, following. The Hughes pr
ject, $4,000 acres; the Leech project, 6O.C
acres; the Magenheimer PROJECT, l7OC
acres; the Routt County Development cor
h. D., he