THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



VOL. XVI. 



CHICAGO, DECEMBER, 1901. 



NO. 3 



An extract from the presi- 

 dent's .message on irriga- 

 tion will be found on another 

 page of this number. The Chicago Tri- 

 bune says editorially on this subject: 



"The question of the, irrigation of the 

 arid lands owned by the general govern- 

 ment was not considered at all twenty-five 

 years ago. It is beginning to be con- 

 sidqred seriously now. The space which 

 the president, who is familiar with condi- 

 tions in the West, gives to it in his mes- 

 sage shows that he looks on it as one of 

 no small importance. 



"When the agitation for the irrigation 

 of these arid lands began there was a feel- 

 ing of opposition to the measure except in 

 the regions* which would be specially 

 benefited. The impression existed that 

 the states and territories in which these 

 arid lands lie were anxious that the gov- 

 ernment should expend millions in making 

 these lands cultivable so that the popula- 

 tion and wealth of the states and territor- 

 ies in question might be increased. The 

 owners of fertile farms in the East and 

 Middle West did not look with favor on 

 what seemed to them a scheme to add at 

 their expense and that of other taxpayers 

 tens of millions of acres to the area of 

 cultivable land in the for West. They 

 saw in .this a reduction of the vaule of 

 their own farms and farm products. 



''This hostile feeling is gradually diap- 

 pearing. It is coming to be understood 

 that the work of making these arid lands 

 cultivable to the extent that the water 



supply will permit there is not water 

 enough to irrigate all will be an exceed- 

 ingly slow one. No great body of farm 

 lands will be thrown suddenly on the mar- 

 ket. The demand for farm lands is such 

 and the value of those now under cultiva- 

 tion has so increased.as to make it expedi- 

 ent from an economic point of view to en- 

 ter on the work of reclamation of these 

 arid Western lands. Private enterprise 

 has made a beginning, but it cannot aq- 

 complish much. The states in which 

 these lands lie cannot alone deal with the 

 question satisfactorily. The general gov- 

 ernment will have to co-operate. 



"While the president advises action he 

 discourages hasty action. The job is too 

 large to be gone at pellmell or taken up 

 peicemeal. He says c we must not only 

 understand the existing situation but 

 avail ourselves of the beat'experience of 

 the best experience of the time in the 

 solution of its problems. A careful study 

 should be made both by the nation and 

 states of the irrigation laws and condition.' 

 When tho necessary knowledge has been 

 obtained tho general government can take 

 up this great work of converting millions 

 of acres of arid lands into fertile fields." 



Irrigation is being adopted 



Garden 118 *** ^ y the successfu l gardeners 

 and small fruit growers 

 through the world- The fact that water 

 can be applied to fruit and vegetables at 

 any times required is argument enough to 

 convince any one of the value of irriga- 

 tion. Thorough tests in the rain belt re- 



