THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



At the present time three great systems are under 

 construction in this valley. One of these, the Central 

 Irrigation Canal, was started as a district enterprise 

 several years ago, but, like many other district irriga- 

 tion projects started under California's irrigation laws, 

 it has been the subject of continuous litigation and 

 work was discontinued for years. At the present time 

 work is being prosecuted and it is expected that water 

 will soon be running. This canal is sixty feet wide 

 and will irrigate 200,000 acres of land, while it may be 

 extended to water millions of acres. Its source of sup- 

 ply is the Sacramento Eiver. 



Another great system just nearing completion is 

 the Yolo County Consolidated Canal, which diverts the 

 waters of Cache Creek and will irrigate 100,000 acres 

 of land lying in Yolo and S'olano Counties. This canal 

 is constructed by a private corporation. It is forty feet 

 wide and carries water to a depth of six feet. A nota- 

 ble feature of this system is the fact that the source of 

 Cache Creek is Clear Lake, a mountain reservoir cover- 

 ing eightv square miles and having vast storage possi- 

 bilities. This project was seriously considered by Gov- 

 ernment experts as the initial undertaking of the Gov- 

 ernment under the national irrigation law. Water was 

 turned into this canal October 8th and the event was 

 marked bv a great celebration at the town of Winters, 

 near the course of the artificial stream. 



Another irrigation celebration of equal importance 

 was held a week earlier at Gridley, in Butte County, 

 and marked the breaking of ground for the Butto 

 County Canal, which will divert the waters of Feather 

 Eiver and cover at present an area of 215,000 acres. 

 This system is capable of vast development, as the 

 Feather drains an area of approximately 4,000 square 

 miles, with an annual rainfall ranging from thirty to 

 sixty inches. This canal may be made to irrigate all 

 the lands lying between the Feather and the Sacra- 

 mento from the point of diversion southward, an area 

 of 700 square miles. It, too, is built by private capital. 



The development of these great irrigation systems 

 is worthy of note, both on account of the magnitude 

 of the enterprises themselves and because of the condi- 

 tions in the territory covered. The Sacramento Valley 

 has an annual rainfall of from fifteen to thirty inches, 

 and is far from being an arid or even semi-arid region 

 notwithstanding the dry summers which prevail in 

 California. The lands that will he watered by these 

 canals have for half a century produced crops. Wheat, 

 barley, vegetables and fruits are grown. Some of tho 

 largest orchards in California are here, as well as some 

 of the largest grain ranches in the world. 



One of the first effects of the introduction of irri- 

 gation on a large scale will be to induce the subdivision 

 of these great grain ranches into small farms and the 

 transformation of a grain country but sparsely in- 

 habited into a land of diversified crops and many 

 homes. 



(Reference: "Report of Irrigation Investigations 

 in California," by Elwood Mead, Bulletin No. 100. 

 United States Department of Agriculture.) 



I 



NORTH DAKOTA'S IRRIGATION CONGRESS. 



The North Dakota irrigation congress was held at 

 Bismarck, N. D., January 24-25-26. The attendance 

 at this meeting was large, as it was estimated there 

 were fully 500 delegates in attendance, made up of 

 farmers and business men of the State who are inter- 

 ested in the subject of irrigation. A number of prom- 

 inent officials connected with the Government were also 

 in attendance, as well as a large number of men con- 

 nected with the State agricultural institutions of Mon- 

 tana and others western States. The delegates were 

 entertained by Governer and Mrs. Sarles at the execu- 

 tive mansion. The program of exercises was as fol- 

 lows: 



Congress called to order by President E. A. Wil- 

 liams. 



Address of welcome Hon. E. Y. Sarles, governor. 



Appointment of committees on resolutions. 



Objects of the Congress Senator L. B. Hanna, 

 chairman of the senate committee, and Hon. F. B.'Chap- 

 man of the house committee. 



Irrigation in North Dakota Prof. E. F. Chandler, 

 state engineer. 



General Farming Prof. Thomas Shaw, Agricul- 

 tural College at St. Paul. 



Policy of Reclamation Service Regarding New 4 

 Projects H. N. Savage, supervising engineer. 



Pumping Projects in North Dakota H. A. Storrs. 

 engineer in charge. 



Possibilities of Gravity Irrigation in North Dakot 

 S. B. Robbins and J. A. French of the reclamatio 

 service. 



General discussion. 



Agricultural Possibilities Through Irrigation as 

 Shown by the Camera Prof. Morton J. Elrod, State 

 University, Missoula, Mont. 



Extensive Farming by Aid of Irrigation Prof. F. 

 B. Lindfield, director Montana Experiment Station, 

 Bozeman, Mont. 



Effects of Fruit Growing on Contentment of Pe 

 pie W. B. Harlan, president Montana Horticult 

 Society, Como, Mont. 



Artesian Wells in North Dakota Prof. D. 

 Williard, Agricultural College, Fargo, N. D. 



Cooperative Irrigation Canal Construction W. 

 Wooldredge, president Montana Agricultural Associa- 

 tion, Hinsdale, Mont. 



Irrigation in Italy and America (illustrated by 

 stereoptican ) Elwood Nfead, Irrigation Experiment 

 Station, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. I 



Send $3.00 for The Irrigation Age 

 1 year, and The Primer of Irrigation 



THE CONGRESSIONAL PUN. 



"What has the Capitol got that you will never have 5 

 asked Congressman Fletcher, of Minnesota, of Con- 

 gressman Tawney. 



"Give it up," said Tawney. 



"Two white wings," said Fletcher. 



"Pretty fair, pretty fair," admitted Tawney. 

 what has the Capitol got that you give to applicants fo 

 office?" 



"It's too many for me," replied the other Minne 

 sota man. 



"A marble stair." 



At this point quits were called. Baltimore He 

 aid. 



