ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 65 



man. Long before the commencement of Solomon's Temple 

 there were irrigating works and reservoirs of enormous dimen- 

 sions, the remains of which are still in existence. The Pharaohs 

 of Egypt had their irrigating canals, and divided their time and 

 resources in supplying with grain what was then a contracted 

 world, and in supplying themselves with monuments to last 

 through all time. These monuments remain to-day, serving 

 only to satisfy the idle curiosity of the tourist, or cause dis- 

 cussions among archaeologists certainly of no practical value 

 to man. But irrigation, which they did much to develop and 

 foster, has come down to us through all these ages, and is to- 

 day the same grand, wealth-producing agent as when man first 

 inhabited the East, and recognized, in his developing engines, 

 the necessity for a surer and more ample supply of food than 

 that which sprung spontaneously from the soil. 



"Spain, under the Moors, may possibly supply us with more 

 valuable information, lessons and suggestions than any other 

 country we may choose to study. 



"The Moors have shown wonderful skill and intelligence in 

 the construction of their irrigating works, and in the institution 

 of their executive, legislative and judicial systems, regulating 

 the equitable distribution of the waters possibly more than any 

 other people. In many provinces of Spain their works, laws 

 and customs remain unchanged. 



"Such being the case, does not the conclusion naturally sug- 

 gest itself, that if such customs and regulations, bequeathed by 

 the hated and despised Moors to their conquerors, have stood 

 the test of practical experience for centuries, without essential 

 change, despite the efforts of the government to obliterate every 

 trace of Moorish rule and occupation, they must of necessity be 

 wise and good? May we not derive from them many valuable 

 lessons for our guidance here ? 



"It may be a matter of interest to refer generally and as 

 briefly as possible to the franchise laws of Italy and Spain, 

 laws under which companies have incorporated to construct 

 irrigating canals and works in those countries, the general feat- 

 ures of limitation of their powers, and of the customs, laws and 

 regulations controlling the disposition and distribution of the 

 water. 



