800 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



dream of reaping the golden harvest without doing these things; 

 but, when the corn-leaf begins to roll, the grass to wilt, the 

 ground to parch, and all things around declare to him that with- 

 out water, his labor, his time and expense, are all in vain, instead 

 of continuing his eflbrts by putting his shoulder to the wheel and 

 turning on the refreshing element, he " lays down the shovel and 

 the hoe," and- only prays for water — he should pray and labor 

 too, for Heaven will help those that help themselves, respecting 

 water as well as manure. If nature has not made our soils rich, 

 we must make them rich ourselves; and if nature is sparing with 

 her showers, or mistimes them, we must not give up and distort 

 our countenances with anxiety, but seize upon the elements, wind, 

 rivers, lakes and ponds, and make rains and showers to suit our- 

 selves, and meet the necessities of the case. 



Compare the expense of manuring an acre with the expense 

 of watering an acre; then. compare the benefits or results of the 

 two operations, and it needs no further argument in favor of irri- 

 gation. There is no reason why a farmer should not pay a dol- 

 lar as willingly for water as for manure, if it Avill return as good 

 percentage on the outlay. And when it is needed, there is no 

 expense in connection with agriculture that makes so large a 

 return as that of irrigation; yet it is not systematically practised 

 by one farmer in ten thousand. Of course, the evils of a severe 

 drouth cannot be wholly prevented, yet comparatively little 

 effort and expense will ward off the injuries of a partial drouth, 

 and do much, very much, to save the majority of crops from the 

 most severe drouth. What is the cost of a windmill ? A dozen 

 windmills, compared with the total or partial ruin of a years' 

 produce on even a very small farm — a few acres ? Let every 

 farmer impress this subject upon his mind, before he forgets the 

 drouth and his consequent losses of eighteen hundred and fifty- 

 four. 



