



PULSE OF THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY. 



1 

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COST OF IRRIGATION CANALS. 



THE county surveyor of Yakima county, Washing- 

 ton, Mr. G. C. Mills, has prepared the following 

 statement for the Yakima Commercial Club, 

 showing the mileage and cost of construction of irri- 

 gation canals in that county: 



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:S83; 



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l OO * CO 00 O! 



OlO GO LO O QC O 3i GO 



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m f o co CD 



CO 3Q L- CO CO (M^HOQCOOCqoOCQ 



^HOQCOOCqoOCQ 

 1-HOi-l -H- 



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It is a worthy example for other county surveyors 

 to follow, as furnishing interesting and valuable in- 

 formation to the general public. It is impossible to 

 estimate with any degree of certainty the cost of the 

 smaller canals built on the cooperative plan, owing to 

 the lack, in most cases, of an exact system of book- 

 keeping. Each farmer simply doing as much work 



as possible, and no record being kept, a large part is 

 forgotten. Thus, when the cost is calculated after 

 the canal is finished, it is invariably greatly under- 

 estimated. In many cases old canals or creek beds 

 have been utilized thus saving great expense. 



SHOULD VISIT PECOS VALLEY. 



The Fourth National Irrigation Congress should 

 not be allowed to pass without the management mak- 

 ing something more than a local entertainment of the 

 occasion. If possible, the delegates and visitors 

 should be taken down the valley of the Rio Grande 

 from Albuquerque to El Paso, where the redemption 

 of a vast country is to be accomplished by a storage 

 system, if at all, regarding which interstate, national 

 and international questions may arise. The excur- 

 sion should also be arranged to include the famed 

 Pecos Valley in New Mexico, where the almost un- 

 limited use of capital, directed by energy and ability, 

 has established the largest storage system in the 

 country. For educational reasons this part of the 

 excursion should not be omitted, as it is certainly a 

 striking object lesson of what can be accomplished if 

 the proper forces are utilized in a systematic manner. 

 These two immense valleys are in a sense types- 

 one in a primitive stage, and the other with a system, 

 vast, comprehensive, perfect and it' would be a 

 great loss should the representatives of irrigation 

 miss the opportunity of inspecting them. 



COUNTY FAIR PRIZES. 



The development of the agricultural and horticul- 

 tural possibilities of the entire West has always been a 

 subject of great interest to THE IRRIGATION AGE. At 

 all times it has advocated the adoption of the best 

 varieties of farm and orchard products, and the im- 

 provement of these varieties under the varying con- 

 ditions of soil and climate. The better class of prod- 

 ucts not only yield more, but bring higher prices, 

 and poor quality, whether in onions or oranges, 

 should not be tolerated. 



In order to further encourage those farmers and 

 fruit growers who are striving to raise only the best, 

 THE AGE has decided to make an exceedingly lib- 

 eral offer, and one of which advantage will undoubt- 

 edly be promptly taken. The States of Western 

 America are divided into over seven hundred coun- 

 ties, and very probably each county will hold a fair 

 during the present year. It is the intention to give a 

 year's subscription to THE IRRIGATION AGE free, as 

 a special prize, for the best exhibit of agricultural or 

 horticultural products grown by irrigation at each of 

 the many county fairs. 



When it is understood that this means an expendi- 

 ture of $1,400, the extent of the generous offer can 

 be more readily comprehended. The conditions 

 concerning these exhibitions will, to a great extent, 

 be left to the officials who have charge of the fairs. 

 It should be remembered, however, that no prize will 

 be awarded for products not actually raised by irri- 

 gation. In order to arrange the matter as soon as 

 possible, THE AGE would be pleased to hear from 

 those interested at once. 



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