124 



I HE IRRIGA T ON A GE. 



convenient as the water system above de- 

 scribed. 



If any of our readers are short of water 

 this year, or have cold fingers pumping in 

 bad weather, we suggest that they lay their 

 plans for an absolutely reliable supply, 

 ome machinery for pumping, and auto- 

 matic distribution in the future. It is 

 sometimes a very fortunate thing for a man 

 that his well gives out or that his hired 

 man leaves him, and he has to pump him- 

 self. It will be money in every man's 

 pocket to provide such a system at any 

 reasonable expense. It is one of the per- 

 manent improvements on the farm and will 

 add to the selling value of the farm as much 

 or more than the cos^,. We do not see how 

 we could manage a farm without a never- 

 failing supply of water and an absolutely 

 reliable automatic system of distribution. 

 Wallace s Farmer. 



THE QUESTION OF NATIONAL IRRI- 

 GATION. 



In a recent issue The Guide printed a 

 set of resolutions, which placed the New 

 York State Fruit Growers' Association as 

 against national irrigation for arid western 

 lands. In printing those resolutions 7he 

 Guide acted merely as a chronicler of the 

 news, not as an advocate of the policy 

 urged by the State Fruit Growers' Associ- 

 ation. That the horticulturists of the Em- 

 pire State should refuse to aid the Middle 

 West in its demand for natianal irrigation 

 strikes The Guide as a particularly precious 

 specimen of ''small potatoes." Many a 

 time have the river and harbor interests of 

 the east been helped by the votes of those 

 who now ask the east's aid for a work that 

 helps not only the west but the whole na- 

 tion. For the economic future of the 

 west works hand in glove with that of the 

 east. 



For unadulterated selfishness and nar- 

 rowness of vision, the resolutions adopted 

 by the State Fruit Growers' Association 

 surpass anything that has come to the ne- 



tice of The Guide for some time. By giv" 

 ing its "arable lands to anybody and every- 

 body who will occupy them" -we quote the 

 resolutions the government has helped, 

 under the homestead law, many of the 

 Western States to acquire wealth and influ- 

 ence, has populated acies and acres of des- 

 ert land with millions of thrifty and in- 

 dustrious people, and in lieu of placing a 

 few millions in the treasury by the mere 

 sale of these lands has, by giving them 

 free, added immeasurably to the strength 

 and prosperity of the nation as a nation. 



What has been done in Colorado may 

 well stand as a most potent argument for 

 allowing the thirteen States involved in 

 this proposed plan of irrigation to work 

 out their own salvation in the way sug- 

 gested. The plan to turn the melting 

 enows of the Rocky Mountains into an 

 agent for the producing of grains and 

 fruits should receive the support of every 

 mm who has eyes to eee beyond his nose, 

 who has brains and heart enough to wish 

 to see prosperity perch above other door- 

 sills beyond his own. Fruitmaris Guide. 



THE SUGAR WE CONSUME. 



Statistics indicate that the United States 

 consumes more sugar than any other na- 

 tion, or approximately one-quarter of the 

 whole of the world's product. The condi- 

 tions of soil, climate and other advantages 

 are quite as good in the United States, and 

 especially in Colorado, Nebraska and Illi' 

 noif, for the development of the beet as in 

 any of the countries of Europe or Asia. 

 The world's production and consumption 

 of sugar is now about 8, -50, 000 tons per 

 annum, two-thirds of which is produced 

 from beet and only one-third from cane, 

 whilst the normal consumption is esti- 

 mated as increasing at the rate of 250,000 

 tons yearly. 



Last year the United States consumed 

 2,220,000 tons of sugar. It will therefore 

 be seen that we imported last year about 

 1,870,000 tons of sugar, most of which was 



