70 AMERICAN AGEICULTUEE. 



Asia; Italy, Spain and elsewhere in Europe, where hus- 

 bandry early attained a high rank, that irrigation was 

 extensively introduced. Damascus is one of the most 

 ancient cities on record, (for it is mentioned in Genesis as 

 existing nearly 4000 years ago,) and notwithstanding is num- 

 erous successive masters and its having been frequently 

 subject to plunder and devastation when conquered, it is still 

 a flourishing city, though in the midst of deserts. This is 

 no doubt owing to the waters derived from the "Abana and 

 Pharpar, rivers of Damascus/' which are conducted above 

 the city till they gush from the fountains and overspread 

 the gardens, and subsequently water all the adjacent plain. 

 Had it not been for irrigation, Damascus would doubtless 

 ages ago, have followed Palmyra, the Tadmor of the wil- 

 derness, into utter ruin. On no other principle than a 

 systematic aud extensive practice of irrigation, can we 

 account for the once populous condition of Judea, Idumea 

 and other vast regions in the East, which to the eye of the 

 modern traveller present nothing but the idea of irreclaim- 

 able sterility and desolation. The possession of the "upper 

 and nether springs" was as necessary to the occupant, as 

 possession of the soil. 



In those countries where the drought is excessive and 

 rains are seldom to be depended on, water is led on to the 

 fields containing all the cultivated crops, and is made subser- 

 vient to the growth of each. But in the United States and in 

 the middle and northern part of Europe, where the crops 

 ordinarily attain a satisfactory size without its aid, irrigation 

 is confined almost exclusively to grass or meadow lands. 



All waters are suitable for this purpose excepting such as 

 contain an excess of some mineral substances, that are dele- 

 terious to vegetable lift. Such are the drainage from peat 

 swamps, from saline and mineral springs, and from ore beds 

 of various kinds ; and those are most frequent, in which iron 

 is held in solution. Of the spring or ordinary river waters, 

 those are the best which are denominated hard, and which 

 owe this quality to the presence of sulphate or carbonate of 

 lime, or magnesia. Those waters which are charged with 

 fertilizing substances that have been washed out of soils by re- 

 cent floods, are admirably suited to irrigation. Dr. Dana 

 estimates the quantity of salts (in solution) and geine or 

 humus, which were borne sea-ward past Lowell, on the Mer- 

 rimac river, in 1838, (a season of unusual freshets,) as reach- 

 ing the enormous amount of 840,000 tons enough to have 



