Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-07-27

Probably there is no subject of
more interest Jo the farmers ANA land
/ owners of the arid and scml-arid
/ slat"s than that of dry farming and
irrigation. In most seasons, plenty of
/ rain fails. but ii runs of down the
/ creeks and rivers. II is soon needed,
/ bat Is gone. What to do to retain the
moisture Is the interesting problem.
| Perhaps nothing better could be sug-
/ gestcd than to build dams. ii VIII
/ do little or no good for the farmers
OF a township or county to take mp
the subject and put ii into action by
each building a good dam or ground
| tank on his farm. Each quarter sec
! tiou or less, should have one, and this
! should extend from Mexico to Canada
aud throughout all the dry belt.
Each county should provide Il dam
I that might assume the proportions Of
a lake near the county seat or larger
cities and towns and which would not
only answer the purpose of water
works for he town, but fishing and
boating and bathing in separate
pool below the spill. The state and
national governments should cooper
ate i'm such "a movement to Insure its
success Doubtless method could
be worked ont for loaning funds TO
tho land owners for this work whore
needed.
~ this were undertaken in earnest
10 would uc but few years until the
capacity of the hundreds and thous-
prds ~ public and private dams
throughout tho entire dry belt would
assume such proportions, taken az a
whole, AS to compare iuvorably with
some md iu time. all the great lakes
such an amount of water scattered
Isll over tn, territory where 1t is most
u,. ded would certainly have "a bene-
flr'ai effect IN bringing about %
change iu tho climate which would
mean a better distribution of moiS-
turc. This will take time and money
hut It Is a necessity, and ms the popu-
lItiuu increases II viii Doc forced upon
the people that they may bring all the
land possible under cultivation.
with the dams ana ground tanks
filled with water the farmer Is pref
ty well assured of a partial crop at
least. as a gasoline engine and some
pipe will enable him to irrigate a por-
tion Of his f'rn II is true the evap-
oration would be considerable during
hot weather, but much VI the mois-
ture would fan again In rain and
partly rcplcuish the tanks. Around
the tanks and lakes. shade trees
should be- planted The agricultural
departments uf the state and national
governments would no doubt assist in
determining and securing the varie-
ties best suited 20 the several sections
Of the country
During flood times these dams and
lakcs would catch part Of the water
and thus minimize the danger along
the dikes and levecs In the lower
river valleys Whore the dam or lake
Is ~ le any considerable size. cement
should 10 used in its construction.
especially n the watershed is consd-
era hlc ard Is likely to overflow the
tank with some force during a rain.
MANY Of the Eastern states were
originally tr1"kless forest The
medieval forest To- which the poet re-
fers was there IN al its majesty. The
increasing population required more
ground on which to raise crops. The
age was used ana the great logs were
rolled into heaps and burned. The
straight and smaller ones were select
ed and used for building log houses