THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



1!) 



TIN CAN CLUBS. 



We reproduce herewith a letter from Mr. H. A. Greene, 

 Monterey, Cal., which will explain itself. We hope to in- 

 duce our readers to form Tin Can Clubs. 



Monterey, Cal., October 7, 1907. 

 D. H. Anderson, Esq., 



Chicago, 111. 

 My Dear Sir: 



I am pleased to report to you that the movement to pop- 

 ularize tree growing on the lines spoken of to you at Sacra- 

 mento has been a great success. 



You mentioned to me that you would publish an article 

 in your paper about it, so I am sending you a lot of pictures 

 to illustrate it, and will give a few ideas not spoken of in the 

 booklet. 



The use of the tin can is. valuable for kitchen gardening, 

 especially in mild climates, for by its use tomatoes, cucumbers 

 and melons, for instance, can be had two months in advance 

 of their appearance in market. 



Throw cans into fire to melt solder. Replace bottoms 

 and bind together with string or wire. 



In some sunny place locate a large box and fill with fresh 

 manure. Bury the cans with seed planted in them down .into 

 the manure. When safe from frosts plant out, removing the 

 tin without disturbing roots. 



Change manure when it gets cold and, of course, keep . 

 soil moist. Cover 'forcing box' with cotton cloth or sacking. 

 I am urging everybody, whether liring in one room or 

 otherwise, to plant a nut or tree seed of some kind in a can 

 and keep it watered. The chances are that the plant will 

 interest the person and a fondness for it be cultivated ; with 

 the probability that a permanent resting place will be found 

 for the trees. 



One of the largest nurseries in California is now plant- 

 ing their tree seeds in tin cans. 



Should you desire I will send some tan oak acorns to 

 you for distribution. The tan oak is most suitable for street 

 and road planting. 



I am going to get out a better booklet on the tin can 

 'hunch.' I have a lot of trees to send to clubs for prizes, such 

 as redwoods, palms, etc., all in cans. 



For the moment I do not think of further information, 

 but you will doubtless get up a good paper on the subject. 



It really looks as though many thousands of trees will 

 be planted through this movement and it will surely create an 

 interest in the subject of forestry among the people. 



I am invited to speak on this subject in many places, but 

 will have to decline, except in high schools. 



I have just forced Abyssinian banana seeds (my own 

 growing) to sprout in twenty-one days by covering them with 

 new manure. This is a good hunch for getting palm seed to 

 'come' quickly. 



If 1 could induce the State Foresters to send out tree 

 growing club organizers it would result in thousands of such 

 clubs being formed. I claim that cans may be used by gov- 

 ernment foresters advantageously. 



In home gardening I consider the can better than an 

 earthen pot. I plant all my rose cuttings in cans, generally 

 with solder melted out of them, which in tree cuttings is not 

 necessary, since when ready to be planted finally the cans are 

 crumbling from rust. 



Let me know if you will give this subject space in your 

 magazine, if not kindly return the photographs. 



I think you can do a great good by pushing this scheme 

 of mine along. Respectfully yours, 



H. A. GREENE. 



FROM OUR EXCHANGES 



Denver Field and Farm The people of the Riverside 

 irrigation district down in Weld and Morgan counties last 

 week voted an issue of $717,500 bonds with which to pur- 

 chase a controlling interest in the Riverside reservoir and 

 extend the Riverside ditch to the Wildcat country. The 

 reservoir when completed will contain over 3,000,000,000 

 cubic feet of water. This election means the beginning of 

 work on the ditch within thirty days and insures water for 

 the strip of territory above the old ditches on the north 

 side of the Platte river from Masters to a point ten miles 

 below Fort Morgan. About sixty miles of ditch will be 

 constructed and over 40,000 acres of new land will be 

 brought under irrigation. 



El 'Paso Evening News -Between irrigation and dry 

 farming, the agricultural problem in what has long been 

 known as the arid west seem about to be solved. 



Throughout many sections of the region it has been 

 found that an abundance of water exists under the ground 

 for irrigation purposes ; and by its use lands are being 

 watered and splendid crops are raised. Then the dry 

 farming method produces numerous crops on lands which 

 had hitherto been considered worthless for anything ex- 

 cept grazing purposes. 



Both of these systems are well adapted to the coun- 

 try surrounding El Paso, and with the construction of 

 the Engle dam for irrigation purposes and the inaugura- 

 tion of dry farming the desert should soon be transformed, 

 into green fields and blossoming orchards. 



It is highly probable that work on the dam will be 

 commenced before the end of the present year, and this 

 will mean the watering of the great area of valley lands 

 which, with sufficient moisture, will produce immense 

 yields of all kinds of crops; while in sections where irri- 

 gation is not practcable the dry farming method will make 

 fertile lands of what is now barren plains. 



Irrigon (Ore.) Irrigator The great irrigation system 

 which B. F. Yoakum of New York and associates are put- 

 ting in below Hildalalgo, Texas, will be completed in time 

 for this season's crop. It will be one of the largest ir- 

 rigation systems in the world when finished and will have 

 cost more than $2.000,000. More than $1,000,000 has been 

 expended upon the enterprise. The land to be reclaimed 

 lies in the valley of the Rio Grande and was purchased for 

 something like $5 an acre less than five years ago. Not 

 an acre could be bought now for less than $50 and when 

 water is placed upon it the value will be increased to 

 $200. The irrigating system will cover about 100,000 

 acres. 



An Orthodox Explanation. 



A mother was giving her little girl a bath, when she said, 

 "I wonder where this dust on the water came from?" 



Small Girl : Perhaps I leak somewhere, mama. You 

 know, I'm made of dust. The Circle. 



Write to-day 



Motsinger Auto Sparker 



starts and runs 

 Gas Engines without Batteries. 



No other machine can do it successfully lor lack 

 of original patents owned by us. No twist mo- 

 tion in our drive. No belt or switch necessary. 

 No batteries whatever, for make and break or 

 jump-spark. Water and dust-proof. Fully 

 guaranteed 



MOTSINGER DEVICE M'F'G. CO., 

 Ill Main Street, Pendleton, Ind., U. S. A. 



Wyoming Tribune (Cheyenne) In compliance with 

 a request from Senator Warren the general land office at 

 Washington has issued to the Wyoming Storage and 

 Water Supply Company of Sheridan, Wyo., a reservoir 

 site which includes within its area Lake De Smet in 

 Johnson county. The company proposes to use the waters 

 of the lake to irrigate lands in the Piney Creek and Clear 

 Creek valleys, making it possible to secure a sufficient area 

 of irrigable lands to warrant the construction of a sugar 

 beet plant near Sheridan. The grading and construction 

 work will be commenced at once under the direction of 

 Hon. Edward Gillette, state treasurer of Wyoming, and 

 an experienced engineer. Lake De Smet is the key to a 

 great tract of fine farming lands and the attention of the 

 reclamation service has been several times called to the 

 proposition, but for various reasons such as the fact that 

 Wyoming already has two big government systems no ac- 

 tion has been taken. The permit issued by the gen- 

 eral land office can be considered conclusive , evidence 

 that the reclamation service has definitely given over this 

 project in order that it may be more speedily developed 

 by private parties. The association with Mr. Gillette with 

 the enterprise is considered a strong recommendation for 

 its success, as he has been active in the development of 

 Sheridan county lands for a number of years and has for 

 several years been devoting much of his efforts to getting 

 capital into the county to establish a beet sugar factoryl 

 The taking up of the De Smet proposition is regarded as 

 another step and a long one to this end. 



