El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-18
Irrigation the Best Remedy for
Drouths, Which are Increasing
This Years Drouh More General In It's Effect Than Any of
Recent Years and More Damaging.

the irrigation plants even where they
are well established.
Causes of Drouths.
The causes of drouth, like various
other phenomena OF nature, have never
been explained. They have happened
from time to time since the beginning
of the world and. in former years, have
brought far greater suffering TO man
Kind than they are ever likely to cause
again. When the crops Of a nation fail
a famine ensues. unless some provision
has been made to prevent It
The first great drouth on record In
the United States took place in New
England in 1749. Historians record es-
pecially the suffering OF the cattle,
which could not find food in the dried
up pastures. In some places the ground
dried up and cracked open in deep ifs
sures. The fish died IN the dried up
streams and ponds. This drouth also
extended as far south as Pennsylvania,
for colonists in that state imported
hay from England to feed their cat
tie at cost Of three shillings per hum
dredweight Owing to the difficulty
of obtaining food many farmers that
year slaughtered their cattle and sub
sisted during the winter upon the meat
they thus secured, often having to eat
1t without bread Of any kind. since the
grain crop was almost a total failure
A second drouth in New England
took place in 1862. which caused even
greater suffering than the first 1t IS
claimed that at this time there was
absolutely no rainfall from May TO
July 30 Public feasts were pro-
claimed, and in most Of the churches
in Boston, Falmouth and other towns.
almost continuous services were held
for a week in the. different churches
to pray for rain. 1t is said that in this
drouth thousands Of cattle persisted
and that the loss to the colonists was
felt even up to the time Of the Revolu-
tionary war.
Previous to the drouth Of this year,
the full extent of which cannot yet
be estimated, the greatest drouth in
the United States IN. century culmi-
mated in the Mississippi and Missouri
valleys in 1894 and in the Great Lake
regions and along the Atlantic coast
In 1895 This drouth of 1894 was
elimination of deficient rainfalls for
1893. The average deficiency Of the
rainfall during this drouth throughout
the country amounted to five inches or
the annual precipitation. Notwfth-
standing this dry weather. there was
a normal yield in the wheat crop
normal in the corn In 1894, although
both crops fell a little short in 1895.
The average yield for corn in the lat
ter year stood at 1914 bushels per acre,
instead OF 235 which was normal and
the shortage In wheat that year
amounted to about 10 percent
The Droufh of 1881.
In 1881 there was a great drouth in
the Missouri valley from July to Sep
TENDER, which extended to various 9TH
er parts OF the country. In Indianapc-
lis, that year, the rainfall from June
% to August 80, a period of 20 days.
was less than 1 IL inches. while from
May Is to June 4, preceding. a period
of 81 days. it was less than 1r2 inch:
During this drouth vegetables and the
staple crops suffered severely. There
was also a great loss OF life among
cattle. which were often turned loose
to find food and water. Springs and
wells, which had always run freely,
went dry that year and in many parts
OF the country the water famine took
a very serious aspect. Services TO pray
for rain were held in different
churches in a large number Of cities
In many towns the water supply was
only available for a few hours each
day and it's use was greatly restricted
Aside from its effects upon the crops,
a great drouth throughout country
with as large manufacturing Interests
as the United States has a very appre-
ciable effect upon many branches Of
trade During the drouths Of 1895, 1894
and 1891, many factories were shut
down for many months because of the
failure of the water supply. In some
of the southern states the manufac-
turing interests are being materially
affected by the droutn- At Charlotte,
North Carolina, scores Of factories
were shut down for several days until
a means of suppIementing the water
supp1v could be devised.
Tomorrow-The American System OF
Education.