104 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



ganization is telling and the West is prac- 

 tically "together" on this subject. With 

 the West united, the conversion of the 

 East is not such a problem. It requires, 

 as the Times says, only that the vast possi- 

 bilities of the wealth lying latent in the 

 arid lands of the West, and requiring but 

 irrigation to be made productive, should 

 be strongly brought to the attention of the 

 industrial, commercial, and manufacturing 

 classes and organizations of the East. 



The "national" movement has already 

 secured good headway in the West and is 

 gaining ground constantly as people awak- 

 en to the importance of the policy, but the 

 Times urges that it is a mistake to do any- 

 thing at this time to weaken the movement, 

 and it deprecates the idea of a California 

 convention to devise some means for State 

 irrigation which will in any way conflict 

 with the demand for national aid. It also 

 opposes a plan whereby the title to forests 

 in California would be granted to the State 

 University in trust, to be leased jand the 

 revenues devoted t > specific purposes In 

 fact it stands firmly against all schemes for 

 State cession, saying for California what is 

 true to a more or less extent ia all the 

 Western States and Territories. 



'It will not do to assume that the foot- 

 hill lands of the Sierra Nevadas will be for- 

 ever devoted to grazing. The time will 

 come when water for their irrigation has 

 been provided that these mountain slopes 

 will be dotted with orchards and vineyards 

 and picturesque rural homes, such as c >ver 

 the hillsides of France " In other words, 

 the public lands should be held by the 

 Government as a sacred heritage for i.ho.s 

 who may coaae to the. West lo >iung for 

 homes, and which under a wise irrigation 

 policy, they will fiud responsive to their 

 toil and indvstry. 



Fruitvale Water Co , of Hemet, Cal., 

 was incorporated under the laws of the 

 State of Cal. Nov. 5, with a capital stock 

 of $50,000 This Com p tny will water a- 

 bout 3,000 acres of the very best fruit laud 

 in Kiverside Co. They will derive their 

 supply from the great artesian belt at the 

 foot of San Jacinto Mountain. The direc- 

 tors of the Company are: P. J. Perrine, 

 Pres ; Karl S. C.irlton, Sec. ; T. H Sulli- 

 van, Treas ; D. N Downy. J. P Kirby. 



Many methods have been employed for 

 carrying water to growing crops. In Egypt 

 and India even now can be found the Per- 

 sian water-wheel. A series of earthen pots 

 are strung on an endless rope and revolve 

 on a wheel with a horizontal axis. The 

 lower end of the rope goes down into the 

 well, ami as the wheel revolves the pots 

 fill, emptying into a trough as they come 

 to the surface, and tip over. Bullocks or 

 camels keep ihe wheel in motion. 



The mote is another invention much used 

 in India THO bullocks raise a leather 

 bag fiom the well by a rope and pulley. 

 The old fashioned pole and bucket, seen 

 on some American farms, is used for short 

 lifts on the Nile banks A very primitive 

 way of raising water is by placing a trough 

 made of a small tree trunk on a pivot. 

 One end is dipped into the water, the 

 trough straightened and the water runs 

 out the other end. 



In I8t>() there were 70.000 masonry wells 

 and 380.000 earthen ones in the land lying 

 near the Ganges river, and these wells ir- 

 rigated nearly 1,5(10. Ol0 acres of land by 

 means of primitive lifts. At present the 

 Ganges irrigation canal irrigates this tract, 

 though many of the old wells are still 

 used. 



