PULSE OF THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY. 



SUBTERREANEAN RIVERS. 



The great subterranean rivers of the 

 West which slowly wend their silent way, 

 hundreds of feet beneath the earth's sur- 

 face, have their counterparts on the other 

 face of the globe. The Caspian Sea is fed 

 by many subterranean streams. These 

 streams, like those of our own arid region, 

 take their source in the mountains which 

 are covered with perpetual snow. The 

 water from this melting snow percolates 

 downward to a deep-lying, impenetrable 

 strata, where it begins its underground 

 passage to the sea. Nearly the whole of 

 Persia is naturally desert. There is scant 

 rainfall and the rivers are so few that ir- 

 rigation from this source is very limited 

 and serves only a small portion of the 

 country. Centuries ago the Persians 

 stumbled upon the idea of tapping the 

 underground streams or springs at the 

 bases of the mountains and the transition 

 of the Persian desert into a land of great 

 fertility is due to this constant source of 

 water supply. But the water has been 

 obtained only through the most indefatig- 

 able labor. 



A well is sunk in the foothills to a depth 

 anywhere from 100 to 300 feet. When 

 this taps the vein of water, another shaft 

 is sunk a couple of hundred yards farther 

 down the slope, which is in reality a gentle 

 descent of the table land from the moun- 

 tains. A canal or subterranean aqueduct 

 is then excavated between the two shafts. 

 At a similar distance farther down another 

 shaft is sunk and likewise connected with 

 the second; and so the canal or conneaugh 

 aa it is called, is carrie'lfor miles. As the 

 conneaugh is given just fall enough to al- 



low of a free flow of water it gradually ap- 

 proaches the surface until, when it draws 

 near the land to be irrigated, the stream 

 comes forth a pearling, bubbling brook, 

 dancing in the brilliant sunshine as it 

 rushes on to its mission to redeem the 

 sterile waste places of Nature. For miles 

 it goes through what was at one time a 

 desert but which under the magic influ- 

 ence of this elixir of life, becomes a gar- 

 den of the gods. It feeds fountains 

 around which in languorous indolence re- 

 pose the dark-eyed beauties of the harem; 

 it furnishes the baths, those luxuries of 

 the Orient; it waters wonderful gardens 

 where in dazzling profusion, bloom through- 

 out the year, the rose, chrysanthemum, 

 narcissus; tuberose, dahlia, white lily and 

 aster, besides fantastic shrubs and rare 

 exotics, heavy with rich perfumes. Here 

 grow to perfection the apple, peach, pear, 

 nectarines, pomegranite, filbert, melon and 

 grape, and many unknown tropical fruits 

 in such abundance as to bewilder the 

 trareler. 



Where the soil admits of percolation, the 

 land is flooded in small squares from lat- 

 eral ditches. On such land, barley, wheat 

 and other cereals are grown to great per- 

 fection. Again, irrigation is accomplished 

 by a network of ditches and furrows. The 

 mills which grind the grain are run by 

 the current of the great irrigation ditches. 



The cities of Persia secure the water 

 necessary for domestic use from these 

 ditches. The capital, Teheran, has no 

 less than twenty large artificial stream* 

 flowing through it, constituted in the 

 manner described from the underground 

 currents. 



