18 



IRRIGATION. 



butter, 100,000,000 Ibs. of cheese, and 400,000,000 gal 

 lons of milk sold or used. The total value of these is not 

 less than 400,000,000 dollars. Then there should be 

 credited to the grass crop, in large part, the value of the 

 wool and lambs produced, or at least 100,000,000 dollars; 

 ! also one half at least of the value of the yearly increase 

 of live stock, which is supported on grass the greater 

 part of the year, and this would reach a sum of 200,000,- 

 000 dollars. To place these in tabular form would further 

 impress the importance of the grass crop upon the mind 

 of a reader ; this may be done as follows : 



Yearly value of the hay crop $273,000,000 



of dairy products, produced from grass. . . 400, (X)o oOO 



of lauibs and wool, due to pasturage 100,000,000 



of increase of other live stock 200,000,000 



Total annual value of the grass crop .$973,000,000 



This vast amount is in excess of the value of all the 

 rest of our farm products, in which may be included cot 

 ton, corn, wheat, and other grains. 



&quot;When we consider that by a complete system of irrigat 

 ing our grass lands alone, the crop could easily be doubled 

 in value, the immense importance of the subject to the 

 agricultural interest of the country is at once seen. There 

 are, comparatively, few cases in which some system of 

 irrigation, more or less complete, could not be applied at 

 least to grass lands, or to now useless lands that could 

 be turned into luxuriant meadows. 



But there is still another view of this matter which 

 ought to be considered. It is not only true that water is 

 needed to supply the requirements of plants, but when 

 used in irrigation, it brings within reach of the plants a 

 largely increased amount of nutriment. 



Water is the universal solvent. No water in its natural 

 condition is pure. The water of springs and streams 

 holds in solution or suspension a quantity of mineral and 

 gaseous matters, that possess high fertilizing value. The 



