A GREAT IRRIGATION ENTER- 

 PRISE. 



The Emperial Press, California, says: The most extensive irriga- 

 tion system to be found in America is now in process of construction 

 in the eastern portion of San'Diego county, this State. 



The land to be irrigated comprises a portion of the delta of the 

 Colorado river, more generally.known as the Colorado desert. It is 

 estimated that there are fully 500,000 acres of arable, irrigable lands 

 under the flow of the canals of this system in this State and more than 

 half as much more in Lower California. 



These lands are naturally very fertile, being composed of the allu- 

 vial deposits of the Colorado river made during past ages. The sur- 

 face of the country is very level, generally free from brush and usu- 

 ally free from gulches or any other kind of unevenness that would 

 require much expense to overcome. 



The Colorado river furnishes the water in abundance. It is stated 

 by competent engineers that there is enough water in the Colorado 

 river to irrigate 8,000,000 acres of land and there is not to exceed 

 3,000,000 acres to be irrigated within the reach of the waters of that 

 stream. 



A peculiarity of the stream is that high water always comes in 

 June and low water in January. The river at the railroad bridge at 

 Yuma is always about nine feet higher the last week in June than it is 

 in midwinter. This gives the most water in summer when the most is 

 required for irrigation, and the least in winter, when little is required. 



This stream probably more closely resembles the celebrated Nile 

 than any other river in the world. 



The waters of the Colorado river carry a very large amount of 

 commercial fertilizers. A careful study of this subject by the United 

 States experimental station connected with the Territorial University 

 of Arizona demonstrates the fact that an acre foot of water from this ' 

 river contains commercial fertilizers to the valued at $3.41. So that a 

 tract of land irrigated during the season with water enough to cover 

 the ground three feet deep would receive fertilizers to the value of 

 over $10 per acre, and this fertilizing material would cost nothing ex- 

 tra over and above the cost of the water. 



It is this kind of material that has made the soil of this great delta, 

 and therefore it is very fertile and must of necessity forever remain 



