PULSE OF THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY. 



45 



The fact that the average depth of irri- 

 gation wells in Kansas is seventy feet, 

 instead of twenty to thirty, as many people 

 suppose, is an indication that the upland 

 settlers are making an endeavor to solve 

 the problem of the plains. 



The Garden City Imprint says the 

 outlook for small grains in the county is 

 very discouraging up to the middle of 

 June. The prospect for good crops in 

 the early season was better than usual, 

 but the hopes of the farmers were dissi- 

 pated by withering crops. There is no 

 water in the river to fill the irrigating 

 ditches, and a short crop of alfalfa is 

 therefore threatened. 



MONTANA. 



This State leads the column this year 

 iu the number of sheep within its borders. 



An electric power company with $200- 

 000 capital has been organized to con- 

 struct a dam across the Missouri river 

 about fourteen miles above Helena, to 

 generate power to be used in and around 

 Helena for mining, manufacturing and 

 lighting purposes. 



The Milk River valley is one of the 

 finest in Montana, especially for the grow- 

 ing of grains, vegetables and hardy fruits. 

 The soil is deep and fertile, there is an 

 ample water supply and a good climate. 

 The valley is being rapidly settled with a 

 class of industrious farmers, and its re- 

 sources developed. 



The Montana College of Agriculture and 

 Mechanic Arts is located in the wonderful 

 Gallatin valley. Magnificent college build- 

 ings, to cost over $75,000, are in course of 

 construction, and an era was reached in 

 the history of this great educational insti- 

 tution ab.out the middle of June when it 

 graduated its first students. Governor 

 J. E. Richards was present and presented 

 the diplomas to the four students honored 

 as being the first graduates of the college, 

 and also conferred upon each of them the 

 degree of Bachelor of Science. 



This college here means everything to 

 the interests of the State and especially so 

 to this valley, known as the "Egypt of 

 America," on account of its wonderful fer- 

 tility and the marvelous crops raised on its 

 lands by means of that promoter of im- 

 mensity of productiveness irrigation. 

 This college has an irrigation engineer, 



and the fact that this country, once a bar- 

 ren waste, is now producing crops of bar- 

 ley, wheat and oats, the yield per acre ex- 

 ceeding that of almost any other section of 

 the United States, and unexcelled in qual- 

 ity, is an omen of the importance of a 

 professorship of this kind to the farming 

 interests of this State. Irrigation is a 

 science, and the acme of perfection is being 

 realized with wonderful returns for every 

 cent expended in irrigation in Montana. 



NEBRASKA. 



There is a promise of exceptionally good 

 crops this year, and now the people are 

 ready to cultivate the harvest excursions. 



The McCook Tribune advocates send- 

 ing a county exhibit to the Nebraska, 

 Iowa and Illinois State fairs, for advertis- 

 ing purposes. 



A Saline county farmer has 100 acres of 

 popcorn planted this year. He has found 

 it a profitable crop, which meets ready 

 sale generally, in the Chicago market. 



The " Irrigation Annual," published by 

 the State Association, is a fine volume, 

 filled with interesting information and well 

 illustrated. It does credit to A. G. Wolf- 

 enbarger, of Lincoln, the President of the 

 Association, who proposed it. 



The State Engineer-Secretary of the 

 Board of Irrigation has allowed the claim 

 of the North Loup Company for water 

 from the North Loup river in Valley 

 county, sufficient to irrigate a thousand 

 acres, conditioned upon the company ap- 

 plying the water usefully to the purposes 

 of irrigation before September 1 , 1899. 



NEW MEXICO. 



Work on the beet sugar factory at Eddy, 

 in the Pecos Valley, is progressing rapidly. 



Stock shipments from the northern part 

 of Grant county have been the largest 

 ever known. 



The Western Homestead Irrigation 

 Company is doing a big lot of work on the 

 Rio Puerco. P. E. Harroun is the engineer 

 in charge. 



This Territory and Arizona are sending 

 more fat cattle to market each week, and 

 are furnishing more feeders for the north- 

 ern ranges than any other portion of the 

 United States. So says the Stock 

 Grower. 



