44* IRRIGATION FARMING. 



the extra expense involved in this, because the instant 

 effedl is to increase production with less outlay of 

 labor. The magnitude of the interests involved, the 

 curtailing and absolute destrudlion of productive capac- 

 ity as affedling the welfare of the community at large, 

 regardless of individual losses suffered ; the neutraliz- 

 ing of the vast expenditures made for the original 

 reclamation of desert lands ; the waste of water, one 

 of the most valuable of natural resources, and the 

 limitation put upon further land improvement thereby 

 ^-all these should appeal to the judgment of all people 

 and should justify any public measures that may be 

 necessary to correal the grievous wrong. Conse- 

 quently, steps toward legislative relief have been con- 

 sidered advisable in many western states, and these 

 are likely to be taken before the evil is corredled. To 

 do this, however, must necessarily involve many com- 

 plications not so easily overcome. As a general thing 

 the irrigation companies themselves are powerless to 

 prevent the difficulty, for the reason that under existant 

 contra(5ls with the farmers they are entitled to a cer- 

 tain amount of water for each eighty acres, which is 

 probably twice as much as is really necessary to use. 

 Unless the stated amount is assigned to the farmers 

 there is danger of legal complications. Hence be- 

 cause there is a large surplusage of water available, it 

 is contributing to the rapid diminution of produdl and 

 a deterioration of the soils. Speaking from an indi- 

 vidual standpoint it must be seen that drainage is the 

 only alternative. Bach year emphasizes the fadl that 

 drainage is the handmaid of irrigation. The one de- 

 mands the other. 



