NECESSITY OF SUEYEYS. 315 



the means or inclination to that co-operation which would be 

 necessary to construct irrigating -works involving large ex 

 penditures. That enterprises of this character, if built at all, 

 must be built by the State or by private capital. 



8. That it is the duty of the government, both State and 

 national, to encourage irrigation; and the first step in that di 

 rection ought to be to make a complete instrumental recon- 

 noissance of the country to be irrigated, embracing the sources 

 from whence the irrigating-canals ought to commence, gauging 

 the flow of the rivers and streams, and defining the boundaries 

 of the natural districts of irrigation into which the country is 

 divided. 



9. Then, when it is proposed to irrigate any particular dis 

 trict, an accurate topographical survey of that district should 

 be made, so that the canal and other necessary works for its 

 irrigation may be designed on an intelligent and comprehensive 

 system, and in harmony with the neighboring canals, and these 

 works executed in the most economical manner. In this way, 

 every farmer will be informed, before he will be called upon to 

 contribute to the works of irrigation, whether or not his land is 

 irrigable; and, if it is, of the quantity of water he will obtain; 

 the exact place or places where it will be delivered to him, and 

 of its probable cost. 



10. While these surveys are being made, we think it would 

 be a step in the right direction if the government of the United 

 States, as well as of the State of California, would inaugurate 

 measures for obtaining from foreign countries all possible in 

 formation relating to the more modern systems of irrigation in 

 these countries, and for disseminating this information through 

 out this country. 



11. After the necessary reconnoissance shall have been made, 

 and a knowledge of the most improved systems of irrigation in 

 other countries has been obtained, the general system of irriga 

 tion can be properly planned, and the outline of the principal 

 works determined, the laws under which a proper system of 

 irrigation for the great valley can then be decided upon intel 

 ligently, the country divided into those natural districts which 

 its topographical features require, and all, or nearly all, the 

 land-owners will then know what benefits they are to derive 

 from irrigation. Light will be thrown on a subject which is 

 now in comparative darkness; unnecessary clashing of private 



