THE I E R I G A T I N AGE. 



287 



This plan seems particularly adaptable and advanta- 

 geous to settlers in irrigation districts where the condi- 

 tions of the land of a large number of holders are very 

 uniform and thus permit to be worked by machinery on a 

 large scale. It would also permit people living in cities 

 to share in the benefits of profits accruing from the opera- 

 tion of such farms by paying their pro-rata assessments 

 in cash, thus furnishing capital for the maintenance of 

 resident workers. Then the workers on such a co-opera- 

 tive farm could divide the work so that each of them 

 would do the work he is best qualified to do; there might 

 occur friction along these lines, but when every stock- 

 holder is interested in the success of the venture, then 

 the majority of them will be sure to take the right action 

 and settle all grievances in the right way. 



The various water organizations in irrigation districts 

 are communities of common interests; they should try 

 co-operative farming and selling of their products and they 

 will find that their work will be considerably easier and 

 their profits greater at the end of the year. 



The organization must, however, be effected along 

 conservative lines, based upon equity and honesty. 



There are just now a number of promi- 

 Study nent engineers and irrigation experts from 



Foreign Germany and France inspecting the re- 



Irrigation clamation work of our government in the 

 Methods arid West, and it is stated that they will 



remain several months in this country for 

 for the purpose of investigating our methods of irriga- 

 tion, drainage and utilization of water power. 



Only recently a prominent engineer from Russia 

 spent considerable time in studying our irrigation plants, 

 and other countries have sent representatives on 

 numerous occasions for this same purpose as our readers 

 will remember Mr. Mclntosh last summer, who came 

 from Australia, and Mr. Kadam, who came from East 

 India. 



These facts evidently show that countries who are 

 further advanced than our own feel that there ii'e thirgs 

 \vhich they might learn from this country and are will- 

 ing to spend money to obtain such information. 



This is an opportune moment to ask the question, 

 whether or not it would be to the interest of this country 

 to do likewise and send competent representatives to 

 foreign lands to study the progress of reclamation there 

 and bring home a store of useful knowledge which 

 should be used in improving the conditions in this 

 country. 



We say to send competent representatives, which 

 means .that politicians are not wanted on such an er- 

 rand. The example set by other countries should be 

 followed closely and only men of %the proper training, 

 knowledge and experience should be selected for such 

 purposes. 



There can be no doubt that our country would be 

 greatly benefited if we would send representatives to 

 s l udy methods in use in other countries; the average 

 American citizen is impressed too much with the idea 

 that there is no improvement possible on his methods 

 and that he cannot learn anything from what is being 

 done abroad. The quicker we get rid of this idea the 

 better, and if we desire to keep up with the procession 

 we had better keep our eyes open and see what is going 

 on elsewhere in the world. The foreign engineer and 

 reclamation expert who comes to this country studies 



our methods and is quick to see where we are ahead of 

 his country and will fully embody it into his report. 

 Put he likewise sees our shortcomings and where his 

 country is far ahead of us; of course he will be too 

 polite to call our attention to it and will pat us on the 

 back and tell us how wonderfully smart we are. When 

 re gets home the points of superiority are carefully 

 considered and adopted, but the deficiencies are secretly 

 considered as a disadvantage to America, and conse- 

 quently an advantage to his own country. 



This shows the necessity of our country to do like- 

 w ; se and send periodically men of noted ability and 

 experience to visit foreign lands for the purpose of 

 comparing methods of irrigation, drainage and power de- 

 velopment as observed abroad with our own and come 

 home making full reports showing both advantages and 

 disadvantages of American practice. 



Elsewhere we are publishing a very coin- 

 Experiment plete essay on the spraying of apple 

 Station orchards, which has been abstracted from 



Work bulletin 119 of the Agricultural Experiment 



Necessary Ttation of Nebraska. The article goes quite 



thoroughly into the matter and gives full 

 details how to manage this important work. It gives full 

 information how to mix the various fluids for the different 

 purposes and how to apply them, so that it will pay the 

 reader to either write for the bulletin referred to, or to 

 carefully preserve this issue of the IRRIGATION AGE, for his 

 guidance in sprinkling the apple orchard. The whole sub- 

 ject is treated in such a clear and concise way and is so 

 carefully illustrated that even an inexperienced apple 

 grower should have little difficulty in arranging for a 

 satisfactory spraying outfit and to apply it in a practical 

 and successful manner. 



Here is again, an instance where the practical value 

 of experiment station work is illustrated showing how use- 

 ful such investigations are, and the necessity of such 

 further work in other directions. With all that already 

 has been accomplished, we may say that we have just 

 entered upon the threshold of progressive farming and 

 horticulture, and that our progress henceforth will be 

 much greater with very much increased practical results. 

 When science and practical work go hand in hand as they 

 do now to determine the best methods in producing crops, 

 success is assured. All we need to do is to help the work 

 along and support the agricultural colleges and experiment 

 stations in their useful work that they are now doing, and 

 in helping efforts to extend such work more and more, 

 by asking the government for more of such colleges arid 

 stations. Each state in the United States should have at 

 least one experiment station, and the more prominent agri- 

 cultural states should have a fully equipped college for 

 the study of agriculture and all its allied branches. 



Thoughts 

 That 

 Come 

 and Go 



A Bureau of Colonization will be a very 

 desirable thing for Uncle Sam to organ- 

 ize. It will help to keep the folks at 

 home and incidentally prevent the exporta- 

 tion of many millions of money into Can- 

 ada. 



The Department of the Interior should be in charge 

 of this bureau and should put its most capable men at 

 work to make it effective. 



