IRRIGATION AND SOIL CULTURE. 



BY H. W. CAMPBELL, Holdridge, Neb. 



At the present time the word irrigation is found in connection 

 with some article in nearly all our leading publications. It has been 

 discussed by all our great men in congress, and by the advocates of 

 the bill just passed providing for government aid Jn the great arid 

 west. It has been presented clothed in its most attractive garb, with 

 the hope of reaching the hearts of the people. It did reach them, as 

 the vote showed, and to its principle advocates much credit is due. 



Now that the work is done, the bill has passed and the plans are 

 being laid for spending the the money, discussions pro and con are 

 certainly in order. 



We are not going on record in this article as opposed to irriga- 

 tion and its rapid development in any manner whatever, but wish to 

 discuss another side of the question that we believe, when well under- 

 stood, will have as broad an effect upon the general development and 

 prosperity of our great country as the bill just passed. For it not 

 only applies to the irrigated sections in a very broad sense, making it 

 possible to very largely increase the acreage of crops with the pres- 

 ent available water supply, but it also applies to that great belt of 

 country containing millions of acres of the finest and most fertile 

 lands we have and that cannot be easily irrigated. 



Nothing more tempting to the eye can be found than these broad, 

 level prairies, when covered with a prolific and healthy growth of ma- 

 turing grains, vegetables or fruits. All that is necessary to convince 

 anyone that the passing of the irrigation bill is the commencement of 

 a most wonderful change, is a comparison of the more arid portions 

 of these prairies where, under natural conditions only sage brush and 

 cactus seem to thrive, with the marvelous results obtained where 

 water is applied to these lands, together with judicious soil culture. 



In many sections lands that to-day are almost worthless may soon 

 become valuable; the broad, black prairies may soon be dotter over 

 with ideal farm homes, new towns may spring up and old towns again 

 be made to flourish and prosper; in fact a new era seems at hand for 

 the arid and semi-arid west. 



But is all this to be the direct result of the passage of the irri- 

 gation bill? Oh, no; a very large part of it is to come from simple 

 education in soil culture and the conservation of available waters, 

 whether the water comes from showers or irrigation ditches. 



Experience has already very clearly demonstrated that the aver- 



