THE IRRIGATION AGE.Z 



prn press are from his pen, though un- 

 signed. Mr. Mitchell is a practical fruit 

 grower and owns a farm in Virginia, near 

 Washington. He lived for some years in 

 the Michigan peach belt, and took a course 

 at the Michigan Agricultural College. He 

 tells us incidentally of a year's experience 

 in Nicaragua where irrigation was quite 

 unnecessary; the rain guage measured 

 during the year 299 inches. 



He is a staunch advocate of the federal 

 storage proposition, and sees nothing but 

 disadvantage in the policy of the cession 

 ef public lands to the States. On the 

 other hand he thinks the leasing of the 

 grazing lands, the title to remain in the 

 general government, until actual settle- 

 ment, and the applying of the rental to 

 tate improvement, the most practicable 

 solution of the range question. 



"There will undoubtedly be a very 

 strong effort made," Mr. Mitchell says, 

 "to get Congress to act upon this question 

 during the coming session. Western rep- 

 resentatives realize that something must 

 be done to adjust this overstocking of the 

 public range, with its accompanying con- 

 troversies and conflict between stockmen, 

 and the leasing of these lands in limited 

 areas would seem to be the most feasible 

 plan. The scheme is in successful opera- 

 tion on the railroad lands of the great 

 trunk lines, and appears to be very gener- 

 ally favored in all quarters. Secretary 

 Wilson tells me he believes it the best 

 solution of the problem. He also states 

 that the overcrowding of the grazing lands 

 and their reduced capacity is at the bot- 

 tom of the present beef scarcity." 



WHAT THE WINDS BRING. 



Which is the wind that brings the cold? 



The north wind, Freddy, and all the 



snow; 

 And the sheep will scamper into the fold 



When the north begins to blow. 



Which is the wind that brings the heatV 

 The south wind, Katy; and corn will 

 grow, 



And peaches redden for you to eat, 

 When the south begins to blow. 



Which is the wind that brings the rain? 



The east wind, Arty; and farmers know 

 That cows come shivering up the lane. 



When the east begins to blow. 



Which is the wind that brings the flowers? 



The west wind, Bessy; and soft and low 

 The birdies sing in the summer hours, 



When the west begins to blow. 



Edmund Clarence Stedman. 



