IRRIGATION IN NORTH DAKOTA. 



231 



constantly increasing the area in crops and 

 making new canals, and laterals by the 

 league, that in most countries would be 

 respectable canals. They have 200 men 

 in constant employ, and have a thousand 

 or more during most of the summer, with 

 many more in harvest. The whole is in, 

 charge of Mr. Miller, who is one of the 

 best business men of America. In forty 

 years the firm has risen from poverty to 

 the largest land owners and cattle owners 

 on the coast, if not in the world, their 

 present holdings being estimated at 200,- 

 000 head of cattle, with sheep beyond 

 the knowledge of even themselves, and 

 2,000,000 acres of land. The business 

 has all been built up by Mr. Miller, whose 

 principle has always been to make every- 

 thing pay. It is therefore safe to assume 

 that this handling of the water and land is 

 profitable on a large scale, though it might 

 ruin a small farmer. Even at the present 

 low price of wheat, the superintendents 

 say there is still a profit in it on this land, 

 and there were some 8,000 acres already 

 seeded when I was there, with more going in. 

 On the lands of the Kern County Land 



Company 800 men are employed the year 

 round, with an increase of thousands dur- 

 ing haying and harvest. Though their 

 land is for sale in small tracts, the gigan- 

 tic scale on which they are farming the 

 rest shows that the owners, who are also 

 shrewd business men, know what they are 

 about. They have also been at it long 

 enough to find out, and are certainly not 

 working eight or ten townships to make a 

 show to sell out on. And the fact that 

 thousands of acres of their lands are rented 

 out to grain farmers whose long strings of 

 teams and plows dotted the great plain for 

 leagues, renters who are no tenderfeet at 

 the business, makes it pretty safe to say 

 that there is here a fair profit in raising 

 wheat by irrigation, even at the present 

 price. About the profits of the alfalfa, 

 even at the low price of beef, there is no 

 possible question, one acre carrying an 

 animal the year round and in summer fat- 

 tening five, while the constant trampling 

 of the herds seems to have no effect upon 

 the stand of alfalfa, which would be quickly 

 injured if water were scarce or stingily 

 used. 



IRRIGATION IN NORTH DAKOTA. 



BY W. W. BARRETT, STATE SUPT. OF IRRIGATION AND FORESTRY. 



AS THE IRRIGATION AGE is the representa- 

 tive journal of the Union, especially 

 of the West in the matterof Irrigation and 

 Forestry and kindred subjects. I feel at 

 liberty to speak through its columns of 

 these things as they pertain to the com- 

 monwealth of North Dakota. 



Water is of paramount importance in the 

 economy of nature, especially in its opera- 

 tions in the production of grain, grasses, 

 fruit and vegetables, and during the last 

 few years this subject has received much 

 attention throughout the world. This ap- 

 plies in a specific sense to the western por- 

 tion of the Union and North Dakota 

 has kept pace with the great advancement. 

 Having been a resident of the State when 

 a territory, until the present time, and 

 having taken an active interest in its de- 

 velopment, I can speak understandingly 

 upon this point. The first public move- 

 ment was made November 2, 1889, at the 

 Irrigation and Forestry Convention at 

 Devil's Lake, Ramsey Co. From that day 

 to this these two subjects have been con- 



stantly before the public. The agitation 

 has been carried on through mass meetings, 

 proper handling by the press, legislative 

 discussions, and reports from this depart- 

 ment. Thus a marked and healthy public 

 sentiment has been developed favorable to 

 these two great and most important factors. 

 And the results, though not what the most 

 sanguine might desire, are of a practical 

 and beneficial nature. 



The progress made is indicated by the 

 encouragement given by the press in the 

 discussion of the subjects, the favorable 

 laws passed by our Legislative Assembly, 

 and the approved work of this branch of 

 the state service, and also in putting the 

 theory into actual operation in the sinking 

 of artesian wells for various purposes. 

 Besides establishing and maintaining the 

 office of state superintendent of Irrigation 

 and Forestry, our code contains some of 

 the best laws in relation to irrigation which 

 can be found in the west; all clear, concise 

 and fitted to the water and irrigation con- 

 ditions of our state. Proper provisions 



