THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



275 



result of drainage has forced itself upon the attention 

 of your engineer by the remarkable change coming to 

 the farms situated within the influence of the ditches. 

 Your engineer has traveled by team over dry land along 

 many of the ditches during the present inspection, 

 where three years before he was obliged to travel on 

 foot, and that, too, with high top rubber boots. During 

 the same period he has noticed swamps transformd into 

 splendid grass lands; grass lands too wet to warrant 

 cutting, becoming the best of meadow lands, and wet 

 meadow lands joining the area for the production of 

 the justly celebrated 'No. 1 hard.' Indeed, the valley 

 furnished not a few examples where the ditches changed 

 this whole range from peat bog and swamp to highly 

 cultivated fields, taken place under the eye of your 

 engineer during the time of his five annual inspection 

 tours." 



The second result of these pioneer ditches, and 

 perhaps the most potent and far-reaching, was of an 

 educational nature. Each ditch became at once a great 

 object lesson; a great physical demonstration. One of 

 Mr. Hill's earlier ditches, or even one of the larger 

 state ditches could bring no physical benefit to a farm 

 outside of its drainage area, but it soon began to wield 

 an influence as far as men traveled who had seen its 

 work of reclamation. 



Minnesota was the first state to ask and receive 



federal aid for topographical surveys for its overflowed 

 Indian lands. During the fifty-ninth Congress $25,000 

 was appropriated. Work on the Red Lake Minnesota 

 reservation by the geological department shows that 

 these lands can be reclaimed at three dollars and a 

 quarter per acre. Ditches are to be dug on every quarter 

 section connecting with the main ditches. These lands 

 when drained, like all of such character, make the very 

 best farms. 



The contemplation of what can be accomplished by 

 reclamation of the swamp land of the country, how 

 much wealth can be added to the business of the United 

 States, is cause enough for the interest and enthusiasm 

 exhibited by the chairman of the executive committee 

 of the National Drainage Association with thirty-three 

 states of the Union having more or less swamp lands. 

 Mr. Bernard is very sanguine of obtaining the votes of 

 the representatives of these states for the passage of a 

 general drainage bill, which has already received a 

 favorable report from the Senate committee on public 

 lands. 



When the bill becomes a law and in operation, it 

 will be realized that lands reclaimed by drainage are 

 more valuable than those reclaimed by irrigation. The 

 question of national drainage is of sufficient importance, 

 that every business interest should lend its aid toward 

 the passage of the bill through both houses of Congress. 



THE COHING CONGRESS 



Preparations Being Made to Entertain Immense Crowds Which Will Visit Sacramento in September. Some of 

 the Prizes to be Awarded Exhibitors of Irrigated Lands Products. 



As everybody interested in irrigation knows the 

 Fifteenth National Irrigation Congress will be held 

 in Sacramento, Cal., from September 2 to 7, the week 

 just prior to the annual state fair of California. That 

 Sacramento is preparing to give its guests of those two 

 weeks a welcome such as only Californians can, is evi- 

 denced by the enthusiasm and zeal with which the exec- 

 utive committee, with Mr. W. A. Beard at its head, is 

 going about the preparation. Up to a short time ago 

 the principal work of the committee was along the line 

 of publicity, interesting public and prominent men all 

 over the country and supplying bulletins to the daily 

 and weekly press of the interested districts. That part 

 of the work has been successful beyond the most 

 sanguine expectations, the newspapers of the whole 

 country realizing the great national benefit to be de- 

 rived. The term "National" will be strictly applicable 

 to the coming conclave as the commercial east, the 

 agricultural south and the undeveloped north are to be 

 represented as well as the new west. Indeed it is a 

 question if the term "International" would not be 

 more fitting as applied to the congress, as many foreign 

 countries, among them Australia, the farthest away, and 

 Canada, our neighbor, will have representatives present. 

 An opportunity will be offered at the session to further 

 national effort in conservation and development and 

 speakers have been chosen to discuss the effect of such 

 effort on the various industries of the country who have 

 made a thorough study and know whereof they speak. 

 Not only have irrigationists and agriculturists been in- 

 vited, but also the manufacturer of the east, whose 



business is dependent upon streams for power, the 

 southerner who must drain his land in order to make 

 it fruitful and the man of commerce whose interest is 

 in navigation. 



One of the most promising features of the Congress 

 is to be the interstate exposition of irrigated land 

 products. The management announces a magnificent 

 list of handsome and valuable trophies, comprising no- 

 less than sixteen handsome gold and silver loving cups 

 especially designed and manufactured for the occasion 

 and offered for interstate competition by prominent men- 

 and business houses of California and other states. 

 Enthusiasm for this event is already being felt, espe- 

 cially throughout the irrigated area. Irrigation dis- 

 tricts are preparing to send their best in order to cap- 

 ture some of these handsome prizes. Farmers on irri- 

 gated land are already preparing to forward prize fruits 

 and grains and vegetables. 



Interest already manifested throughout the irri- 

 gated area indicates that this will be the finest exhibition 

 of the products of irrigated lands ever made in this 

 country, and Californians are preparing to celebrate- 

 the occasion with a magnificent allegorical irrigation 

 parade, which, if carried out along the lines now con- 

 templated, will be the finest pageant ever witnessed in 

 the west. 



The design has been received for the "Baker & 

 Hamilton trophy for the best display of irrigated cereal 

 products. This magnificent gift, which is one of an 

 extensive list of costly and beautiful prizes to be 

 awarded at the interstate exposition, consists of a silver 



