SMALL EXTENT OP IRRIGABLE LAND. 169 



it during the irrigating season, by a tax on each 80 acres 

 of $8 to $12 annually. The superintendent measures the 

 water into each "lateral" ditch along the line of the 

 main canal, according to the number of water rights paid 

 for in any year, and the farmers divide it from the small 

 ditches themselves, according to what each is entitled 

 to. Usually the farmers taking water from one " lateral " 

 form a company and build their main and sub-laterals, 

 and deliver to each his just proportion of water. Some 

 of the laterals are 4 miles long and have cost over $1,000. 

 The whole system is working satisfactorily to all, and the 

 land is constantly appreciating in value, as the amount of 

 land that will eventually be brought under cultivation is 

 limited to the amount of water in the streams. Probably 

 not more than two million of the 67 million acres in this 

 State can possibly be farmed, as the combined sectional 

 area of all the streams at "high water" is not over 

 1,500,000 inches, with a velocity of 3 miles per hour, and 

 on an average it takes one inch of water running at that 

 rate for each acre under cultivation. For instance, a 

 farmer having 100 acres in cultivation, gets 100 inches of 

 water with this velocity, and he can get over, or water 

 his crop in about 10 or 12 days. Usually wheat is water- 

 ed here but two or three times, as there is rain or snow 

 enough in the Spring, (April or May), to bring it up so 

 that it will cover the ground. Corn, potatoes, and other 

 late crops are watered oftener, but require less per acre 

 than wheat. The above particulars are given by Mr. J. 

 D. Buckley, engineer of the Greeley Colony. 



The Canal of The Saint Louis Western Colony, at Evans, 

 with its branches, is 40 miles long, 10 feet wide at the bot- 

 tom, with slopes of T| , to 1, (or 18 inches horizontal to 12 

 feet perpendicular), with a water section of 53 square feet, 

 and a fall of 7 feet per mile. The cost of the whole system 

 is less than $25,000 for a total length of 40 miles, and 

 115,200 acres are covered by it. 

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