Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1919-02-27

| struggle necessary to develop such q
| country, under such stern conditions,
develops Of necessity strong menT
evolved Richard. "Oh. yes, / believe
that. too"
"Oh, more than that. 1t is not so
much the struggle as the necessity for
cooperation. The mutual dependence
Is one Of the blessings Of aridity"
zone Of the blessings Of aridityl"
echoed his listener. "You are philos-
opher." He had not yet touched the
others thought at the spring.
"You might as we'll call me social
list because / praise irrigation in that
1t stands for the small farm unit"
retorted the valley man. ''That is one
Of it's flats; the small unit. 1t is the
small farm that phys. That fact brings
many advantages. What Is the charm
Of Riverside? It comes to me always
like the unreal dream of the socialist
come true. 1t Is city of farms, of
small farms, where man may make
his living of his ten acres of oranges
or lemons; and with all the comforts
and conveniences Of city within
reach, his neighbors not ten miles of
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
q drudge. The bread wagon and the
steam laundry wagon stop ut 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 1t touched his profession.
"Not going into soil values, for that
Is long story" began the older man,
"irrigntiOn is the answer which SCI
ence gives to the agriculturist who is
impatient of hnphazard methods. Irri-
CATION is not compromise, us so many
believe who know nothing about it. 1t
Is distinct advantage over the old
!, fashioned methods.
II am one of those who always
thought 1t a compromise" admitted
, the engineer.
"Better call rain a compromise" re-
torted the irrigationist. 1.-The man
who irrigates gives water to the tree
which needs it.; rain nOurishes one
| tree and browns out another. Irriga-
ton Is an insurance policy against
l drought, guarantee against floods
) The GARNER who has once operated an
irrigated farm would be as impatient
were he again subjected to the caprice
of rain as housewife would be were
she compelled to wait for rain to fill
, her washtub. There is no irregularity
or caprice about irrigation"
"Wonder how the old fellow picked
1t all up?" unused Richard with dis
! respect. Aloud he said, "You were
, speaking of the value of the soil?"
Look ut the earth those plows are
turning over. See how rich and friable
1t Is, how 1t crumbles? You can dig
for hundreds of feet and still find that
sort of soil, eight hundred feet down
1t Is disintegrated rock ind leaf mold
brought In here in the making of a
delta. Heavy rainfalls are rare here,
though we have had Them in spite of
popular opinion. Were we to have
frequent rains the chemical properties
which rain farmers must Duy to enrich
their WORKOUT soils would be leached
out, drained from the soil. l can't
make this comprehensive, but I've q
: monograph on desert soil. If you are
interested I'll send 1t to you"
u should like it-immensely." as.
sented the engineer, still amused.
1T explains the choice of the Aztecs
of the Incas, of Carthaginians, the
Moors," observed the stranger. "They
chose the desert. not in spite of the
soil but because of it. doubt If they
were awake to the social advantages
of the system. but it was their co.
operative brotherhood that helped
them to their glory. We are centuries
/. behind them. I'm getting out here
Imperial If you come up to Imperial
look me up. Brandon's my name. I've
I, no card these days!"
There are several things / want to
hear from you," answered Richard
following brown necktie and pointed
beard to the platform. "I'll be sure
to look you up. Mines Richard"
The breeze which was now entering
the car windows had blown over the
clover.ieafed fields. Its message was
, sweet and fresh. Richard could see
! the canals leading off like silver
threads to the homes and farms Of the
future; "the socialists dream come