530 



Canadian Forestry Magazine, November, 1920 



parlor window, or by the proud husband 

 when he uses the garden hose on his 

 lawn, and this form of irrigation is con- 

 sidered necessary even in tlie most humid 

 parts of Ontario. 



All irrigation works may be put into 

 one of two classes, preventive or pro- 

 ductive. Where some sort of crop can 

 be grown with reasonable certainty with- 

 out artificial watering, but much better 

 and more remunerative crops can be 

 secured by its aid, the works are in the 

 productive class. Where agriculture 

 without irrigation is impossible or very 

 precarious the Avorks are preventive. 

 Naturally in any new country the works 

 first undertaken are preventive and it is 

 only after these are well developed that 

 the productive works get under way. 



It is generally realized what a large 

 proportion of the cultivatible land on the 

 earth's surface is susceptible of benefit 

 from irrigation. If we consider the arid 

 lands alone where agriculture is other- 

 wise impossible or precarious the propor- 

 tion is large, but if to these we add those 

 areas where agriculture is improved by 

 irrigation the total is enormous, nearly 

 70 per cent, of the whole. 



There is an old proverb relating to 

 the man who makes two blades of grass 

 grow where one grew before, but what 

 about him who makes three grow^ where 

 before there were none. 



Precarious Conditions. 



Agricultural statistics for Western 

 Canada show very plainly that there is a 

 large area in Alberta and Saskatchewan 

 roughly bounded by the mountains, the 

 Red Deer and South Saskatchewan, the 

 49th parallel and an indefinite line some- 

 where about the longitude of ]^Ioose Jaw, 

 wherein crop production is more or less 

 uncertain and precarious. There is also 

 a border territory north and east of this 

 in which agriculture is not developed to 

 anything like its best by reason of in- 

 sufficient rainfall. It is an unfortunate 

 fact that to too many people agriculture 

 means grain. Western Canada has been 

 called the "bread basket of the Empire," 

 and perhaps it is, but it should be the 

 butcher shop and the vegetable garden 

 as well. This will never be possible 

 until the waters of the prairies P'-e put 



to work and the artificial application of 

 water developed to the fullest extent 

 which the conditions allow. 



1 litherto the bulk of the development 

 has been under corporate control. A re- 

 latively large amount has been carried 

 out privately or by co-operation, but 

 these projects have all been small and 

 scattered. The time has now arrived 

 when large projects must be developed 

 by co-operative organization, and this 

 can only be possible when the co-opera- 

 tion includes every interested agency. 

 Development of a large project involves 

 many operations such as preliminary anrl 

 reconnaisance surveys, organization, fin- 

 ance, construction and the subsequent 

 management and maintenance. In arldi- 

 tion there are certain matters such as the 

 surveys of sources of water supply, the 

 administration of these sources as be- 

 tween projects and provinces and also 

 internationally, the provisions of laws 

 relating to the use and distribution of 

 water, construction of works, organiza- 

 tion, governing and financing of the co- 

 operative societies and agencies. 



Provincial and Fedey'al Action. 



These things come under different 

 authorities. At present, the natural re- 

 sources, wdiich includes all surface 

 waters, are under federal jurisdiction 

 and the federal government therefore 

 exercises authority in all matters relating 

 to the utilization of water. The Prov- 

 ince governs in all matters relating tO' 

 organization, management and finance. 

 The responsibility for further develop- 

 ment is, therefore, a divided one. The 

 Federal Government by its legislation 

 makes itself responsible that water is. 

 put to beneficial use and its part there- 

 fore is to determine the location and the 

 amount of the available supply and the 

 lands on which it can be best used ; and 

 also to insure that the works are suffic- 

 ient for their serx'ice. The remaining 

 steps in development ^re Provincial mat- 

 ters. It is evident, therefore, that de- 

 velopment cannot continue unless each 

 agency does its part. At present the 

 Federal Government has a large and 

 efficient organization at work on its part 

 of the program, and has carried out and 

 is continuing extensive surveys to de- 



