100 IRRIGATION. 



needed, to cause these lands that are brought under the 

 system, to bear grass in preference to any other crops, 

 and to make the irrigation permanent and as perfect as 

 possible. That is to say, that in all other than arid or 

 rainless countries, meadows only, and no other field crops, 

 should be irrigated, unless under exceptional circum 

 stances ; for the reason that the irrigation of a meadow 

 is easy and requires but little practical skill, is more 

 cheaply performed, because the works are permanent, 

 and is more certain and profitable in its effects than that 

 of other field crops. 



It would not be difficult to give excellent reasons for 

 these statements. It may be sufficient, however, to re 

 mark that, excepting in those districts where irrigation is 

 needed for all crops, the water supply can rarely be made 

 available for any other lands than river bottoms ; for the 

 reason that the cooperative effort of many proprietors 

 would be necessary to bring a supply of water to a large 

 tract, and this would be difficult or impossible to effect. 

 Bottom lands are naturally suited to the growth of grass, 

 and the means and the end of their irrigation match so 

 accurately, naturally, and conveniently, that there seems 

 to be a foregone necessity that the one should exist for 

 the other. Further on, in considering more particularly 

 the possibilities and methods of irrigating these lands, 

 the advantages of keeping them as permanent grass lands 

 will be still more conclusively shown if that need be. 



&quot;Where the climate admits of it, irrigation of meadows 

 is performed in Summer and in Winter. There are two 

 objects in view. One is, to supply moisture to the soil 

 at a season when there is an insufficient amount of rain, 

 and the other is, to convey to the soil, and deposit upon it, 

 whatever fertilizing solid matter the water may contain at 

 a season when water is very plentiful. The first object is 

 attained by Summer irrigation, and the second by irriga 

 tion in Winter. It is only, however, in those localities 



