THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



201 



to affording delegates to the first convention of the 

 "Reclamation States" to be held at Salt Lake City, 

 also in April, an opportunity to attend both gather- 

 ings. 



IRA W. McCONNELL. 



In discussing Mr. Ira W. McConnell, 

 who has recently become identified with 

 J. G. White & Company, one who is 

 familiar with his history has the fol- 

 lowing to say concerning him and his 

 connection with public work: 



"Mr. McConnell was born in 1871 

 and graduated from Cornell university 

 in 1897. In 1897 and 1898 he was em- 

 ployed on the United States Deep 

 Waterways Surveys and in the United 

 States Navy Yard, Brooklyn. During 

 a part of 1898 he was engaged as con- 

 tractor for the North Tarrytown sewer- 

 age system, and in the fall of that year returned to 

 Cornell university as instructor in civil engineering, re- 

 maining there until 1900 when he became superintendent 

 of construction for the Indianapolis water works. In 1901 

 Mr. McConnell entered the employ of Nash & Dowdle, 

 general contractors, Chicago and New Orleans, as super- 

 intendent of the construction of the Chicago clearing 

 yard, which involved a large amount of railroad work, and 

 on the New Orleans drainage works. From January to 

 June, 1903, he was professor of civil engineering at the 

 Missouri School of Mines, going from there into the 

 United States Reclamation Service as project engineer on 

 the Uncompahgre, Colorado, project, the principal items 

 of which -were the Gunnison tunnel canal construction, 

 unification of old canals and water rights and general 

 administration of the entire project, involving the ex- 

 penditure of over $6,000,000, and on which work he was 

 engaged from 1903 to 1907. During the past two years he 

 has been supervising engineer of the central district, 

 United States Reclamation Service, having general super- 

 vision of all government irrigation work in South Dakota, 

 southern Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Okla- 

 homa and northeast New Mexico, the principal projects 

 being the Pathfinder reservoir, Interstate canal on North 

 Platte river, Belle Fourche project, South Dakota, in- 

 volving a large earth dam and canals, Garden City project, 

 Kansas, a steam-electric plant for recovery of underflow, 

 Uncompahgre project, Colorado, tunnels and canals, and 

 the Grand Valley project, comprising large canal works. 

 The annual expenditure of the 'district was about $1,500,- 

 000, and the ultimate cost of the work under construction 

 will involve an outlay of over $25,000,000. 



Mr. McConnell, as chief irrigation engineer, will have 

 general supervision of all matters relating to irrigation 

 undertakings. His headquarters will be at the main offices 

 of J. G. White & Company, incorporated. 43 Exchange 

 place. New York." 



IRRIGATION AGE RANCH. 



Readers of the IRRIGATION AGE will, no doubt, be in- 

 terested in learning that the ranch owned by the editor 

 of this journal, near Fountain, Colorado, is being placed 

 in condition to produce good results during the summer 

 of 1910. This land lies on the border of the town of 

 Fountain, in a delightful section of Colorado, directly 

 under Cheyenne mountain and Pikes Peak and within 

 view of the Sangre de Christo mountains to the 

 southwest and of the Spanish Peaks in the same direction, 

 ns well as Long's Peak and other prominent points of 

 the Rocky Mountain range to the north and west. This 

 is recognized as one of the most delightful locations, from 

 a scenic standpoint, in the United States. 



But since scenery has never been known to produce 

 a bank account, the owner ftas carefully considered, 

 quality of the soil, climatic conditions and adaptation of 

 soil. It is obvious that this soil, supplied with water, is 

 suitable for alfalfa raising and it has also been proven 

 that fruit of all kinds thrives well. On adjoining ranches, 

 apple, pear, plum and cherry orchards are to be found 

 which have produced abundantly since they came into 

 bearing. Mr. Riddoch of Fountain has plum, pear and 



apple orchards which would do credit, in point of pro- 

 ductiveness, to any fruit section in the United States. In 

 laying out this land five acres were set aside to be planted 

 this spring to four standard varieties of cherries; two 

 acres will be planted to apples, plums, pears and peaches. 



The orchard will be so laid out that a glance at the 

 diagram will determine the kind of tree to be found at 

 any given spot. In addition to the name of the tree, in- 

 formation will be given as to whether it is an early or 

 late producer. This plan has already been adopted by 

 the most successful orchardists. 



Adjoining the two acre tract containing apples, plums, 

 etc., a tract of about one acre will be set to dewberry 

 plants. Ten acres of Mexican beans will also be planted. 

 These have proven a profitable crop on adjoining lands. 

 In fact, five acres nearby produced nearly $1,200 net last 

 year. In addition, there will be planted from two to 

 three acres of potatoes, about three acres of onions, and 

 such other garden truck as may be decided upon later. 



With the assistance of Mr. F. P. Austin, who is one 

 of the best agriculturists in that section, and acts as 

 our superintendent, we hope to produce results which will 

 be not only profitable but of interest to our many readers. 

 All mishaps or errors in judgment will be as fully re- 

 corded in reports as are the successes, and it is hoped 

 thereby to teach new irrigation farmers, who are readers 

 of this journal, to avoid such mistakes as may be en- 

 countered in this work. This is considered to be the 

 only fair way, even though it may at times be somewhat 

 humiliating. 



Within the past two weeks orders have been placed 

 for one "Little Yankee" grader, one "Little Roadster" 

 grader and ditch builder, one Milwaukee mower, one Mil- 

 waukee harvesting machine, one six horsepower Interna- 

 tional gasoline engine, one hay loader, suitable for swath 

 or wind-row, one Bettendorff steel wagon, one hay rake, 

 one two-way plow, a five row grain and seed drill and 

 cultivator. In addition to this there is on the ground a 

 large Hoosier seed drill. Arrangements have been made 

 to ship two spraying outfits; one of the large Binks power 

 spraying machines on iron trucks for treating trees. This 

 is a combined engine and pump, and is said to be one of 

 the best machines manufactured, and while this cannot 

 be used on the work at present, it is believed that the 

 superintendent, who has a large orchard of his own, may 

 find it of value, as well as for use on neighboring 

 orchards, whose owners have not yet attempted exten- 

 sive spraying work. The farm is also provided with 

 a smaller machine of this same make, which is pro- 

 pelled by hand, and is suitable for spraying trees and 

 field crops. This machine can be used for applying sul- 

 phate of iron to kill thistles and other obnoxious weeds. 



In addition to the area above mentioned there is a 

 field of thirty acres with a fair stand of alfalfa. Owing 

 to an accident to the ditch last year this field was not 

 served with water, and the stand is not satisfactory. It is 

 hoped, however, to reseed the sparse areas and produce 

 several good cuttings of alfalfa this season. 



Mr. Austin will write us regularly from month to 

 month, giving his experience on ours as well as his own 

 ranch, which is one of the best developed in the Fountain 

 Valley. As work develops he will furnish photographs 

 of farm machinery in operation and of the different fields 

 and orchards. 



These articles must prove interesting to our readers 

 and we will appreciate comment from them and sugges- 

 tions that will enable him to perform better work. 



The first article will probably appear in our April is- 

 sue, although at this busy season of the year it may be 

 difficult for Mr. Austin to find time to write matter of this 

 character. After these articles are once started, however, 

 they will be continued regularly. 



At present work on leveling and laying out the land 

 for the orchard and field crops is progressing. In this 

 work there is being used in addition to the "Little Yan- 

 kee" grader, a homemade level prepared by Mir. O'Reilly 

 of Fountain, who has had experience in the Yakima 

 Valley with this class of tool. A Brothen auto- 

 matic level, a new device, manufactured by a gentleman 

 of that name, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, is also in use and it 

 is intended to give a statement as to the value of this 

 level in a future issue of the IRRIGATION AGE. 



