THE BEST SYSTEM OF IRRIGATION 19 



for the plants, and irrigating water would supply the soda, lime, potash, etc. 

 It is possible that the best system of irrigation for this western 

 country, at least, has not yet been discovered. The "New Agriculture" 

 provides for storing the waters in parallel trenches four or five feet deep, 

 and of the same width, below frost line, and filling in these trenches with 

 round stones to the depth of eighteen inches or two feet, tiling to be used 

 if stones are not to be had, then shingling over with flat stones, or tile, or 

 timber. After which, to prevent the earth from filling up the spaces be- 

 tween the stones, any coarse material like straw, hay, weeds, cornstalks or 

 fine brush are placed on. A heavy coating of manure may follow this, and 

 then the excavated soil is placed on top. A series of these trenches are 

 constructed on an incline, one above the other, about a rod apart; these 

 main reservoirs or trenches are connected with smaller trenches, about 

 eighteen inches from the surface, partly filled in with small stones, and 

 designed to connect and convey the surplus water from the trench above 

 to the one below. These are called overflow trenches. Each of these 

 main trenches, then, becomes a reservoir capable of holding three feet or 

 more ot water before it overflows into the cross trenches. This is the 

 method by which Mr. Cole would store and conserve the rains and melting 

 snows for use when needed, and it affords an excellent illustration of the 

 principle of irrigation by capillary attraction, or by the gradual and 

 uniform raising and diffusion of moisture from below. Beyond a question 

 it is correct in principle, and I am prepared to believe all the reports of 

 results from experiments at the "Home on the Hillside." As to what 

 extent this system may be utilized in other parts of the country, and under 

 conditions widely different from those where tests have proven so satisfac- 

 tory, remains to be seen. Mr. Cole not only reports amazing yields under 

 the system, but claims remarkable immunity from disease for all products 

 grown in that way. The expense of fitting the land for this plan amounts 

 to several hundred dollars an acre, where it has been tested, which of 

 itself, appears almost a bar to an extended adoption of the system. But 

 Mr. Cole does not so regard it, and writes under date of Dec. 28th, 1887 : 

 " As for cost of fitting lands; were it to cost ten thousand millions to fit 

 under my system the soils of Colorado, as a return interest, at six per cent, 

 would be realized, as near as I calculate, on $900,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

 Don't vote me a crank, now, but wait for a letter I have just written for 

 my ideal paper, your Field and Farm." The progress of the New Agri- 

 culture will be watched with interest. 



