494 UKI'OKT OF OFFICE oF KXTFJUMFNT STATIONS. 



The minrnll of tlii>- |t:iit of Italy, as romiKircd to that of the United 

 States, is shown in tiie (liaj,Tani (IM. XXIX). It is not only far above 

 that of the arid rej^ion, hut al)ove that of Omaha, Kansas City, or Cin- 

 ciiniati. The two important (•roj)s whicli can not ]M^ <^rown without 

 irri»>ation are rice and marcite. Of these the most profitable is mar- 

 cite, which is j^rown in meadows kept j^reen throunhout the 3'ear by 

 runnin*^ water over the land almost constantly. Marcite; cultivation 

 can be practiced only where warm water can })C had in winter, either 

 from sprinj^s or sewaj^e from cities. This warm water keeps the 

 j^rass growing througliout the coldest weather. It is cut when about 

 18 inches high, and as a rule is fed green. The annual acreage value 

 of the crop is surpiisingly large, the products from some fields last 

 year having sold for $300 an acre. 



Land and water rights in the best marcite districts equal in value 

 the best fruit lands in California, some of the farms near IVIilan l)eing 

 valued at $>8,0()<> an acre, and the water right at !i>i,'2()(J an acre. These 

 are maxinunn prices and are far higher than those which prevail 

 where only ordinary crops can be grown. The minimiun prices for 

 land and water in the districts recentl}^ brought under irrigation range 

 from $160 to $1S0 an acre. Unirrigated land in the same neighborhood 

 sells for about !i^lOO an acre. 



The landscape in Italy is rendered beautiful l)y growing trees and 

 brush along the ditches and roadsides (PI. XXV 111, fig. 2). The pur- 

 pose of this is to suppl}' fuel for cooking and heating purposes on the 

 farm. An added attraction is given to the landscape in some of the 

 irrigated districts b}^ the manner in which grapevines are trailed from 

 tree to tree along the margins of the fields so as to form a series of 

 decorative archways. The appearance of the crops on the luiirrigated 

 lands resemble those of Kentucky', Indiana, or Missouri. The grass 

 along the roadside was green, and the shai'ply defined lines between 

 the irrigated and imirrigated farm, so strikingly manifest in the arid 

 region of this country', does not appear there. The same crops grow 

 al)ovethe ditches as Ijcknv them, l)ut tliere is a luxuriance and increased 

 growth and yield on the irrigated farms which can not be obtained 

 where moisture comes onlv from rain. 



The oldest canal inspected in Lombard}- was constructed in 1150. 

 This was built by the monks and was small and crooked, as were nearly 

 all the canals built during the next five hundred 3'ears. The land 

 could be farmed without irrigation and the l)uilding of canals meant 

 increased expenditure, more people to cultivate the land, more houses 

 for them to live in, and more barns in which to store the products. 

 The large outla}^ in other directions, l)esides the cost of ditches, 

 retarded the change, but in recent years progress lias lieen rapid, 

 because of the need of finding employment and support for the dense 

 population, there being about 3S0 people to the square mile in the 



