Irrigation Enterprise in America. 833 



In regard to the value of the land, Professor Whitbeck states : 

 ■"It is fully established that it costs more to produce crops on our 

 irrigated land than it does on good land under rainfall. ... It 

 seeins clear that general farming under irrigation offers the average 

 farmer little more than a living for his labour." There are, hoT\'- 

 ever, conspicuous cases of success, especially among the fruit growers 

 of California, where a large portion of the crop is grown under 

 irrigation. Here most of the irrigation is under private control, and, 

 having been in progress more than fifty years, is firmly established. 



The construction of the irrigation works has been very expensive, 

 tind far greater than was predicted when the Reclamation Act was 

 passed. " To many Americans," the author states, '' it appears that 

 the Government entered upon its extensive irrigation enterprises too 

 soon and on too costly a scale. Millions of acres of farm lands in 

 the humid part of the United States are unused ; millions more are 

 producing but a fraction of their possibilities. There was no lack of 

 good land that required no irrigation and would produce nearly as 

 much as the irrigated land after great sums had been expended merely 

 to bring water to it." 



This huge experiment in irrigation, says the writer, "may cost 

 ihe United States Treasury from a hundred million to two hundred 

 lUiillion dollars, but it will not all be lost: a good deal of benefit 

 will come from the undertakings." 



" If the question is asked, Has irrigation in the United States 

 been a success? the answer is neither Yes nor IN^o." It has been an 

 unquestionable success in many enterprises, a reasonable success in 

 others, while many cases also of financial failure have resulted. 



Farmers are aware of the several irrigation schemes of the Union, 

 and the brief outline given above of the story of irrigation enterprise 

 in the United States will bring with it this lesson, that each irrigation 

 scheme has its own problems and difilculties. Some schemes originally 

 pregnant with brilliant possibilities may be found in the course of 

 time to be adversely affected by forces, some beyond the power of man 

 and others unforeseen, which may reduce them to failure or consider- 

 ably modify the good originally anticipated. Therefore let it be 

 iDorne in mind that an irrigation scheme cannot be entered into 

 lightly. -It calls for the most scrupulous care, skill, and foresight. 

 The oversight of any of the problems involved in a scheme, or lack 

 of due regard thereto, may lead to disaster. As indicating what may 

 happen, readers are referred to an article appearing in the April, 

 1920, issue of the Journal, entitled " Brak in its relation to Irriga- 

 tion," which discloses some of the danglers to be considered in irriga- 

 tion enterprise. 



Export of Grain, etc. 



The exports of grain, etc., for the month of October, were as 

 follows: Maize, 40,526 bags; maize meal, 37,484 bags; hominy chop, 

 11,160 bags; oats, 830 bags; lucerne seed, 150 bags; and kaffir corn, 

 10 bags. For September the figures are: Maize, 8111; maize meal, 

 ■650; hominy chop, 6352; oats, 125; and lucerne seed, 216. The total 

 number of bags exported from 1st July last to 31st October was : 

 Maize, 58,667; maize meal, 38,854; hominy chop, 17,512; oats, 955; 

 l)eans, 138; lucerne seed, 366; and kafiir corn, 10. Stocks on hand at 

 all ports on 31st October, 1920, were, in bags: Maize, 88,630; maize 

 meal, 61,685; hominy chop, 5409. 



