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IRRIGATION. 69 
IRRIGATION IN THE EASTERN STATES. 
A. J. COOK, M. S., POMONA COLLEGE, CLAREMONT, CAL. 
Such disastrous drouths as that which occurred during the sum- 
mer of 1894, in nearly all parts of the United States, should arouse 
the best thought and study, and stir to fullest action the inventive 
genius of our people. If by thought and plan we can, even in some 
slight degree, fence against such loss as has been experienced in the 
frequent drouths of the last few years, it is certainly most desirable 
to give the thought and inaugurate the plan. If the farmer sees 
liberal reward ahead, he will endure cheerfully hard effort. Even 
slight compensation may make such labor endurable. 
It is more than probable that on many a farm in the East irriga- 
tion might be introduced that would more than pay large interest 
on the expense each season, and would yield startling profits in such 
,years as that of 1894. Southern California was visited by a very 
severe drouth in 1894; yet so little was this felt by the orchardists 
that it is probable that the crop of fruit for 1895 will be the largest 
and will bring the largest cash returns of any crop ever grown in 
the section. 
On a farm which I own in Shiawassee county, Michigan, on the 
left bank of the Maple river, near its source, is a spring brook which 
takes its rise entirely on the farm. This brook never dried up nor 
froze over. Because of this, several acres in the very center of the 
farm bore little else than flags and sedges, and by tempting stock in 
the early spring to reach for the fresh green herbage often plunged 
them into mud and water, that coated them with dirt, even if they 
were so fortunate as to get out without aid. Besides this, a consid- 
erable area of excellent land farther down the stream, so level that 
the stream zigzagged from side to side, was only valuable for pas- 
ture, and could not be plowed. I drained the entire place by use of 
underground tile, and occasional open ditches furnished water for 
my stock. The fallin the upper portion of the stream was exceed- 
ingly great. The largest tile—those used at the lowest portion of 
the stream—are one foot in diameter. Even in seasons of greatest 
drouth these large tile run half full, and with a strong current. Thus 
I have converted all my land into excellent plough-land, have re- 
placed an unsightly quagmire with beautiful fields; but, possibly 
best of all, I have water available for irrigation, by which I can 
make a large area of rich land productive even in the dryest seasons, 
when prices are sure to be very high. 
My farm is not an exceptional one, but is a type of many in Mich- 
igan, Ohio, New York, etc. It is very common to find on both sides 
of the larger brooks and rivers numerous brooklets, rising in 
springs and emptying into the larger streams. Nearly every large 
farm has its quagmire of springs, sedges and flags, its beautiful 
streamlet, usually with rapid current, and its greater or less area of 
low level ground along its lower course, where it winds back and 
forth. Often these brooks are larger than the one on my farm, in 
which case it will be more difficult and expensive to underdrain. In 
such cases open ditches may be used. These are less expensive, 
