V 



IKKIGATION 



THE drought of 1898 taught the people of California 

 the lesson of irrigation. Before the secularisation 

 of the Missions the Padres dug many ditches, and water 

 was carried to their vineyards and orchards from a long 

 distance, involving enormous labour on the part of the 

 Indians, labour in those days being compulsory for the 

 most part. To-day, power will be found cheaper than 

 the systems which bring water to land in obedience to 

 the law of gravitation. In '98 we bought and operated 

 two pumping plants which worked admirably; and it 

 must be remembered that when you are dependent upon 

 water supplied by a company from some huge reservoir 

 there is always the grave danger of the water failing at 

 critical times. In the Salinas valley, for instance, gigan- 

 tic sums were expended in digging canals, but when these 

 were dug, the river from which the water to fill these 

 canals was to be taken, dried up, and the enterprise was 

 temporarily wrecked. There are many parts of Cali- 

 fornia, notably in the counties of Kern, Tulare, and 

 Fresno, where the water obtained from the canals does 

 not fail, but speaking generally it will pay the small 

 farmer to own his own pumping plant. 



I cannot do better than quote in full a memorandum 

 on this subject written by Mr. William H. Mills, to 

 whom I am indebted for many courtesies. Mr. Mills 

 is widely known as a brilliant writer upon all subjects 

 connected with the resources and development of Cali- 

 fornia. He says : — 



