242 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Courtesy U. S. Dept. Agriculture. (Mead.) 



IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS REPAIRING BRUSH AND ROCK DAM, YELLOWSTONE 

 RIVKR, MONTANA. 



her was removed from the mountains we would then 

 have more water in July and August than we do now. 

 This is the season of the year to test the truth of what 

 I am saying. Go into the timber in the high altitudes, 

 take the measurements and you will find that the snow 

 is from one to two feet deeper in the dead timber than 

 it is in the green timber. 



The reason for this is that when the snow falls, it 

 lodges on the boughs of the green timber and is held 

 in this position until the wind and the dry air carry it 

 away by evaporation, while in the dry timber the snow 

 falls to the ground and is not subject to the above action 

 of the elements. Again, if there were no timber on the 

 high timbered hills and plateaus the winds of winter 

 would drift the snow from those hills 

 and plateaus and pile it up in deep 

 gorges and behind the brows of hills 

 iij drifts so deep that the suns of sum- 

 mer would not be able to melt .them 

 iiway until late in August or -Sep- 

 tember, as is the case above timber 

 line. 



I have seen, and many of you have 

 seen, huge drifts of snow lying under 

 the brow of some hill far down on the 

 mountain side long after the snow has 

 all disappeared out of the green tim- 

 ber ; and, again, you will find it is 

 true that long before the streams get 

 low the snow has all disappeared in 

 the green timber. 



It is the big drifts at and above 

 timber line that make the water for 

 late irrigation. 



I do not want any one to think 

 that I want to see the timber de- 

 stroyed for the sake of water to irri- 

 gate the land, for I do not; there 

 are other ways of procuring water 

 and the people need the timber for 

 mining and building purposes and 

 should be permitted to use it, so 

 long as they do not waste and destroy it. 



There should be some way of regu- 

 lating the cutting of timber so that 

 the people may get what they need 

 and at the same time protect the young 

 and growing trees. Some people ad- 

 vocate buying the timber from the 

 government, and say that the mill 

 men should pay for the timber they 

 cut. I am not opposed to this plan 

 if it is deemed to be the best. It 

 would only result in the consumer 

 having to pay the additional price,, 

 and I am inclined to believe that it 

 would be the wisest plan. 



I am opposed to the large and un- 

 called for timber reservations all over 

 the state for the above reasons. 



Speaking of water supply, I was 

 favorably impressed with an idea ad- 

 vanced by Senator Tomkins at the 

 last meeting of the Cattle and Horse 

 Growers' Association, in regard to 

 building what he termed icebergs. 

 The plan was to take out water 

 through pipes at the heads of moun- 

 tain streams and conduct it to suitable places and there 

 spray it during the winter in such a way that it would 

 form a huge mountain of ice. 



In this way very small streams of water could be 

 made to yield a vast amount of water and thereby in- 

 crease the annual yield many times in crop tonnage. 



This system of reservoirs can be built at a trifling 

 expense and in localities where other reservoirs could 

 not be built at all. I believe that this theory is deserving 

 of a practical test. 



THE IRRIGATION AGE for 1 year and The Primer 

 of Irrigation, a 300-page handsomely bound book for 

 $1.50. Send, in subscription now. 



Courtesy U. S. Dept. 

 IRRIGATION I 



Agriculture, (.\fcatt.) 



NVESTIGATIONS PUMPING FOR IRRIGATION IN A SANTA CLARA 

 VALLEY ORCHARD, CALIFORNIA. 



