STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 75 



one tenth was returned to tbe Government. The excess of the crops of 

 the irrigated lands above those unirrigated, was for wheat and barley 

 four hundred and eighty million pounds, equal to three million dollars 

 per year; and when the works of the Ganges and Sutlej shall have been 

 completed, the agriculture on which twelve thousand souls depend will 

 be secured ; produce valued at not less than fifty million dollars per year 

 will be placed beyond the contingencies of the seasons, and pay to the 

 State in public revenue fifteen million dollars annually protected from 

 fluctuation. 



The canal of Urgel in Spain, is seventy-two miles in length, and waters 

 one hundred and ten thousand nine hundred and twent3--four acres of 

 land. From the parliamentary returns of England in eighteen hundred 

 and fifty-four, the extent of land under the title of irrigated meadows, 

 amounted to one million two hundred and ninety-two thousand three 

 hundred and twenty-nine acres, and several nieadows, once arid and 

 worthless, by flooding with water have risen to an enormous value, and 

 are stated to be annually let by public auction at prices varying from 

 seventy-five dollars to one hundred and sixty dollars per acre; and it is 

 estimated that the quantity of green food cut annually from each acre is 

 from fifty to eight}- tons. In regard to the nutritious qualit}^ of grasses 

 on irrigated land, Professor Way, in his recent valuable analysis of 

 grasses, in the Eoyal Agricultural Society's Journal, has revealed the 

 astounding truth that irrigated grasses contain twenty-five per cent 

 more meatmaking matter than those not irrigated. One great eff'ect of 

 irrigation by flooding, is in killing insects and their larva, and worms, 

 mice, squirrels, moles, and other noxious animals living under the 

 ground. 



LAND TITLES. 



« 



A very serious drawback to the prosperit}^ of our agricultural inter- 

 ests is found in the unfortunate condition of the land titles, or rather 

 the want of titles to the lands in this State. 



In early days, the great number of Mexican grants, claiming to 

 embrace within their boundaries the larger portion of the best agricultu- 

 ral land, and at the same time claiming the right to change those boun- 

 daries, and float and locate the claims wherever the settlements of the 

 countr}^ should indicate the land most desirable and valuable, acted as a 

 great discouragement to the bona fide settler, and retarded very much 

 the development of our agricultural resources. 



While this discouragement has been gradually l^eing removed by the 

 final confirmation and location, or rejection, of these grants by our 

 Courts — another, and, if possible, a greater barrier has been arising from 

 the policy pursued in the management of our State lands. The General 

 Government has donated to this State, for various purposes, about eight - 

 million nine hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred and eighty 

 'acres of land ; and although the disposition and management of these 

 lands have formed a subject for a part of the annual message of every 

 Governor of the State since eighteen hundred and fifty, and although the 

 laws regulating their location and sale and the manner of giving title to 

 the purchaser have been the prolific themes of legislation in nearly eveiy 

 Legislature since the organization of the State — yet, at this late day, 



