Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1911-12-29
THE REAL GIFT
Of IRRIGATION
Extract from President
Fowler's Address at Ir-
rigation Congress
LOOKS GOOD TO US
Irrigation Raises the Stand
ard of Excellence of Agri-
cultural Products

While the benefits derived from
irrigation are often stated in meas
urable terms by acres Of land
brought under bitches, by bushels
or tons Of product, and by increased
population Of arid States all this,
great though II be, fails to express
the full measure Of the benefits; for
the chief gift of irrigation lies in
the raising of standards Of excel.
lence.
Through irrigation new standards
for fruits have been set. Apples
grown on irrigated lands have a
richness of color and flavor. a per-
fection Of form and fullness of size
that have a revelation TO the world.
Today the apples of irrigated orch
ards supply the tables of aristocracy,
and even royalty throughout all
Europe, and the European demand
is so great that apple-producing New
England. New York and Michigan
can seldom get sight of our irriga.
ted fruits. Western cherries, too
grown on irrigated lands and ship
ped to the East under an almost
prohibitive transportation tax, are
largely displacing the local product,
though sometimes fulfilling their
real destiny Of inspiring orchardists
to strive for corresponding improve
ment in their own standards. The
prune and the aprio,t Of irrigated
lands equally rise above the standard
set in humid countries.
While fruits are better known
than other irrigated products, they
are no more striking than the more
commonplace products of the field,
which are not, to the same extent,
revolutionizing the markets Of the
country and the world, only because
the profits on fruits are so much
greater. Yet for the sake of their
horses, hogs, cattle and poultry, ir'
rigators grow alfalfa, which under
irrigation in western America has
revolutionized forage production
multiplied the acre-yield of nutri
ment for stock, and tempted farm
ers of almost every eastern state
into experiments, both with thi,
jewel of the meadow itself and tn,
improvement of other forage plant'
to meet the standard il sets.
Nor does the tale more than be
gin with the raising of standards IL
products. Standards in methods Of
cultivation and care of fruit anC
vegetable, melon and forage, soor
follow and are even more stimulat
ing to the intelligence and energy
of men. Largely through the ex
perience of irrigators, we are begin
ing to realize that what the countr,
needs is not more acres in cultiva
ton but more yield per acre cultiva
ted; not more farms but more pro
ductivc farms; not more orchard,
but more fruitful orchards; nor
bigger homesteads but happier
homes, in which little land give,
a richer and more enjoyable living
than that drawn from poorly tilleC
and larger acreage. Experts tel
us that Americas production o,
foodstuffs is not keeping so fal
ahead of population but that export
are declining and prices rising. Yet
IL we are to maintain our lea,
among the nations Of the earth, W,
must prepare to feed twice, thrice
yes, ten times our present ninety
three millions, and this can only b,
done by so striking the soil that |
will burst into multiplied fruitful
ness, as burst the rock into waite
under the stroke of Moses rod.
Toward this end the irrigate,
lands are moving more than al
others; the irrigator soon learn
that his water supply. rather tha
his land, measures his wealth, an
turns his energies from miles of fur
row to square rods of fruitage; It
he who first learned that one acr
Is better than two. because Il drink