THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



29 



per acre, cleared and grubbed thoroughly, 

 and a twelve-inch well sunk. At a depth 

 of less than a thousand feet a flow of over 

 24,000 barrels or over one million gallons 

 per day was struck. The farm is divided 

 into twelve tracts, with a small cottage on 

 each, and is rented to gardeners who pay 

 an average annual rental of $22.50 per 

 acre. These gardeners raise vegetables 

 for market, and their average net profit 

 per acre is more than $100. This well 

 supplies sufficient water to irrigate a- tract 

 many times larger than it is required to 

 do. This wonder is in a portion of Texas 

 where it seldom rains, and the owner has 

 refused $100,000 for his property. 



"The farmers in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, 

 Nebraska and other states affected by the 

 recent drought, might study with profit 

 the irrigation methods now in vogue. 

 Flowing artesian water at a depth of six 

 hundred to one thousand feet is possible 

 on any land that will produce crops. If a 

 flowing well, the water could be held in 

 check by a cap until needed, and then 

 distributed over the land by means of 

 ditches in quantities to suit the farmer. 

 He would not bother about rain, and with 

 water at his command would be enabled 

 to mature his crops at an earlier date. 



''The first cost of a well or series of 

 wells may seem great, but. when the ulti- 

 mate benefits are considered is insignifi- 

 cant. It would be a good idea for farmers 

 in the more populous agricultural sections 

 to form irrigation clubs and sink wells at 

 some convenient place where each could 

 receive the benefit of the water. In the 

 west where farms are larger than they are 

 in the east, running streams could be 

 utilixed in connection with the wells. 

 Where water from the creeks and rivers is 

 used, a pumping plant on some high point 

 would flood the farms surrounding, and 

 the benefits would be incalculable. 



"This is a- subject worthy the earnest 

 consideration of farmers everywhere. Ir- 

 rigation is not an experiment, but is prac- 



ticed with great success in all the states 

 where the annual rainfall is light. If it 

 will benefit the arid sections it will also 

 benefit the middle states who were suf- 

 ferers in the recent drought." 



IRRIGATION WORKS IN SIBERIA. 



The Russian government contemplates 

 undertaking large irrigation works in 

 Western Siberia, which will extend over 

 a tract of land along the western section 

 of the Trans-Siberian railway for more 

 than 275 miles. In the districts of Tomsk 

 and Omsk alone no less than 833 artesian 

 wells have been bored during the last 

 three years. The expenditure for the 

 construction of these wells amounted to 

 $300.000. Furthermore there have been 

 constructed in the government of Tomsk, 

 n the different districts, altogether 276 

 miles of canals, while 85 miles of river 

 beds were cleaned from mud. It is re- 

 ported that the administration of the Si- 

 berian railway has recommended to the 

 Russian government a scheme to under- 

 take extensive drainage works in the 

 marshy Baraba steppe, for which works a 

 credit of about 3,000,000 rubles has been 

 asked. 



BIG IRRIGATING PROJECT. 

 One of the big irrigation enterprises of 

 northern Montana that is now under con- 

 struction and is rapidly nearing comple- 

 tion has as one of its promoters a Helena 

 man, Jacob Switzer. Associated with him 

 are Lawyer T. E. Brady of Great Falls, 

 and D. W. Bateman, also of that city. 

 The plant is located at Ashville, between 

 Malta and Saco, along the line of the 

 Great Northern railway, in Valley county. 

 The work on the canal was started nearly 

 two years ago, and since that time work 

 has been pushed vigorously. Within the 

 next month it is expected that the main 

 canal will be completed. 



A large lake known as Bowdoin lake, 

 which is some 20 miles in circumference, 



