Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-02-21
e ID N A III AXE N

country, under such stern conditions
develops of necessity strong menY
evolved Richard. "Oh, yes, 1 believe
that, too"
"Oh, more than that. 1t Is not SC
much the struggle as the necessity fol
cooperation. The mutual dependence
is one of the blessings of aridity."
zone of the blessings of aridity p
echoed his listener. you are philos;
opher." He had not yet touched the
others thought at the spring.
"You might as well call me social
list because praise irrigation in that
it stands for the small farm unit,
retorted the valley man. THAT is one
of its flats; the small unit. 1t is the
small farm that pays. That fact brings
many advantages. What is the charm
of Riverside? 1t comes to me always
like the unreal dream of the socialist
come true. 1t Is city of farms, of
small farms, where a man may make
his living off his ten acres Of oranges
or lemons; and with all the comforts
and conveniences of a city within
reach, his neighbors not ten miles off
A farmer in Riverside or in any irri-
gated community does not have to
postpone living for himself or his fam
lily until he can sell the farm He
can go to church, can walk there; the
trolley car which passes his door
takes him to public library or the
opera house. His children ride to
school. His wife does not need to be
drudge. The bread wagon and the
steam laundry wagon stop at her
door,"
Richard observed that perhaps he
did not know anything about irrigation
after all He had not thought of it
before in its sociological relation but
merely as it touched his profession.
"Not going into soil values, for that
is long story" began the older man,
irrigation is the answer which sci
ence gives to the agriculturist who is
impatient of haphazard methods. Irri-
cation is not compromise, as so many
believe who know nothing about it. 1t
is a distinct advantage over the old
fashioned methods.
II am one of those who always
thought it a compromise" admitted |
the engineer.
Better call rain compromise" re-
torted the irrigationist. 1.-THE man |
who irrigates gives water to the tree |
which needs 1t; rain nourishes one |
tree and browns out another. Irriga-
ton IS an insurance policy against
drought, q guarantee against floods.
The farmer who has once operated an
irrigated farm would be as impatient
were he again subjected to the caprice
Of rain as a housewife would be were
she compelled to wait for rain to fill
her washtub. There is no irregularity
Dr. caprice about irrigation"
"Wonder how the old fellow picked
t all up?" unused Richard with dis
Aloud he said, you were
speaking of the value of the soilY"
Look at the earth those plows are
urning over. See how rich and friable
t is, how it crumbles? You can dig
or hundreds of feet and still find that
iort of soil, eight hundred feet down
t is disintegrateG rock and leaf mold
brought in here in the making of a
lelta. Heavy rainfalls are rare here,
hough we have had them, in spite of {
popular opinion. Were we to have ;
requent rains the chemical properties J
which rainsfarmers must BUY to enrich :
heir WORKOUT soils would be leached ,
ut, drained from the soil. / can't =.
lake this comprehensive, but I've q :
on desert soil. II you are
Interested I'll send it to you"
Il should like it-immensely." as
ented the engineer, still amused.
1T explains the choice of the Aztecs.
f the 1ncas, of Carthaginians, the
loors," observed the stranger. They
hose the desert, not In spite of the =
oil but because of 1t. / doubt If they
ere awake to the social advantages
the system. but it was their CO.
perative brotherhood that helped Z
lem to their glory. We are centuries !.
ehind them. I'm getting out here =
nperial. If you come up to Imperial
ok me up. Brandon's my name. I've
D card these days. !" .
1htt q ttAt cCftiai liiuSS L whit TO
ear from you" answered Richard, 9
blowing brown necktie and pointed 81
,ard to the platform. "rll be sure q
look you up. Mines Richard"
The breeze which was now entering IL
e car windows had blown over the W
overloaded fields. Its message was w
feet and fresh. Richard could see OF
e canals leading Off like silver
reads to the homes and farms of the r
ture; ''the socialists dream come
Ne !" Willows of two or three years II
owth outlined the banks. Here and II
ere a tent or ramada set up II
ave defiance against the hard con- \
lions of the land 1t was invading. y
ckard leaned out of the window and II
oked back up the valley which was H
by the range now wrapping II
ound itself gauzy, iridescent drap- II
les. II
The monument to an effete super II
ton 7" he repeated "That wasn't II