692 SOILS: PROPERTIES AND MANAGEMENT 



certain privileges, such as the principle of eminent domain, 

 in conserving and utilizing water. The provisions differ 

 somewhat in detail, but in general agree in conferring the 

 right to use water upon those persons who can first make 

 the best use of it for the purpose of growing crops. Other 

 rights in the use of water are largely subject to its use for 

 irrigation. Further, the tendency is to attach the right 

 to the use of water to the title to land, since each has 

 value only as it is associated with the other. However, 

 in the attachment of water from a particular source to 

 any given area of land, many difficult questions may be 

 raised which must be decided by the larger principle of 

 beneficial use. 



A close economic dependence among the people and a 

 high degree of social coordination grows out of the practice 

 of irrigation farming on a large scale. The fertile nature 

 of the soil, the favorable climate, and the cooperation 

 necessary to supply water for irrigation, leads to intensive 

 methods of farming, to specialization in production, and 

 to many cooperative enterprises, not only in agriculture, 

 but also in associated industries in the same region. These 

 intensive practices and the close personal association 

 involved promote a high intellectual and social standard 

 in the community. Irrigation has been an efficient school- 

 master in the practice and value of cooperation in all sorts 

 of enterprises. 



594. Divisions of irrigation. Two main parts make 

 up the practice of irrigation : the first is the provision 

 of water, which is essentially an engineering problem ; 1 

 the second is the use of water on the land, which is es- 



1 Wilson, H. M. Irrigation Engineering, p. 625. New York, 

 1909. 



