﻿ENCOURAGEMENT 
  TO 
  RAILROADS: 
  IRRIGATION. 
  307 
  

  

  be 
  removed. 
  If 
  even 
  the 
  little 
  streamlets 
  flowing 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  through 
  the 
  prairies 
  

   were 
  generally 
  fringed 
  with 
  thick 
  shrubbery 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  partially 
  protect 
  the 
  surface 
  

   from 
  the 
  sun, 
  this 
  would 
  aid 
  much 
  more 
  than 
  is 
  supposed 
  in 
  retaining 
  and 
  distribu- 
  

   ting 
  the 
  moisture. 
  

  

  It 
  would 
  require 
  too 
  much 
  space 
  for 
  me 
  to 
  attempt 
  to 
  give 
  in 
  full 
  here 
  the 
  reasons 
  

   and 
  arguments 
  bearing 
  on 
  this 
  point. 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion, 
  allow 
  me 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  I 
  feel 
  confident 
  that 
  if 
  propel 
  measures 
  are 
  taken 
  

   and 
  proper 
  efforts 
  are 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  directions 
  indicated 
  in 
  this 
  communication, 
  the 
  citi- 
  

   zens 
  of 
  Minnesota 
  may 
  feel 
  assured 
  the 
  day 
  is 
  not 
  far 
  distant 
  when 
  the 
  grasshopper 
  

   will 
  no 
  longer 
  be 
  "a 
  burden" 
  upon 
  the 
  agricultural 
  prospects 
  of 
  their 
  beautiful 
  State. 
  

   That 
  there 
  will 
  be 
  occasional 
  visitations 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  expected, 
  but 
  I 
  believe 
  the 
  day 
  of 
  

   severest 
  trial 
  has 
  passed 
  ? 
  the 
  long 
  and 
  severe 
  visitation 
  of 
  1873-77 
  will 
  probably 
  never 
  

   be 
  repeated 
  unless, 
  through 
  want 
  of 
  care, 
  your 
  country 
  is 
  allowed 
  to 
  become 
  arid 
  and 
  

   dry, 
  or 
  some 
  climatic 
  change 
  over 
  which 
  you 
  can 
  have 
  no 
  control 
  should 
  bring 
  about 
  

   this 
  condition. 
  

  

  I 
  might 
  add 
  something 
  iu 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  farming 
  which 
  I 
  think 
  would 
  

   be 
  advantageous 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  locust 
  problem, 
  but 
  this 
  communication 
  is 
  already 
  

   long; 
  and 
  moreover 
  I 
  am 
  well 
  aware 
  that 
  farmers 
  are 
  not 
  much 
  disposed 
  to 
  listen 
  

   patiently 
  to 
  suggestions 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  their 
  particular 
  profession 
  from 
  one 
  they 
  con- 
  

   sider 
  a 
  mere 
  theorist. 
  I 
  therefore 
  refrain. 
  

  

  I 
  am 
  glad 
  I 
  can 
  speak 
  thus 
  hopefully 
  of 
  the 
  future 
  of 
  your 
  State. 
  I 
  have 
  written 
  

   conscientiously 
  and 
  not 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  flattery. 
  The 
  views 
  here 
  given 
  have 
  been 
  

   formed 
  after 
  a 
  somewhat 
  lengthy 
  and 
  careful 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  subject 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  bearings. 
  

  

  2. 
  Encouragement 
  to 
  railroads. 
  — 
  Many 
  persons 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  

   building 
  of 
  railroads 
  through 
  almost 
  rainless 
  regions 
  — 
  the 
  breaking 
  of 
  

   soil, 
  laying 
  of 
  rails, 
  stretching 
  of 
  wire, 
  and 
  consumption 
  of 
  fuel 
  inci- 
  

   dent 
  thereto 
  — 
  has 
  a 
  beneficial 
  effect 
  in 
  ameliorating 
  the 
  climate 
  in 
  one 
  

   way 
  and 
  another, 
  but 
  particularly 
  in 
  causing 
  more 
  frequent 
  precipitation 
  

   of 
  moisture. 
  They 
  cite, 
  in 
  confirmation 
  of 
  this 
  belief, 
  the 
  constant 
  ex- 
  

   tension 
  of 
  settlement 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  cultivable 
  area 
  westward 
  along 
  the 
  

   lines 
  of 
  the 
  Kansas 
  and 
  the 
  Union 
  Pacific 
  Roads 
  ; 
  for 
  the 
  country 
  is 
  now 
  

   settled 
  along 
  these 
  roads 
  far 
  into 
  what 
  was 
  formerly 
  called 
  the 
  "Ameri- 
  

   can 
  Desert," 
  or 
  into 
  regions 
  which 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  since 
  were 
  considered 
  

   uninhabitable 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  farming 
  was 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  impossible 
  

   there. 
  The 
  results 
  are 
  doubtless 
  more 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  breaking 
  and 
  cultiva- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  as 
  above 
  explained 
  (p. 
  303) 
  ; 
  but 
  whether 
  or 
  not 
  railroads 
  

   have 
  this 
  supposed 
  influence, 
  it 
  is 
  certain 
  that 
  they 
  greatly 
  benefit 
  such 
  

   a 
  country 
  in 
  many 
  other 
  ways, 
  and 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  encouraged 
  as 
  much 
  

   as 
  possible, 
  not 
  only 
  because 
  they 
  conduce 
  to 
  the 
  settlement 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  

   they 
  traverse, 
  but 
  because 
  they 
  also 
  facilitate 
  communication 
  between 
  

   sections, 
  and, 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  under 
  consideration, 
  will 
  render 
  more 
  com- 
  

   plete 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  warning, 
  which 
  we 
  shall 
  presently 
  consider. 
  We 
  . 
  

   believe, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  the 
  interest 
  of 
  the 
  Government 
  to 
  en- 
  

   courage 
  the 
  building 
  of 
  railroads 
  in 
  this 
  sparsely 
  settled 
  region 
  and 
  

   would 
  emphasize 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  on 
  page 
  21. 
  

  

  3. 
  Irrigation. 
  — 
  It 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  that 
  in 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  west 
  of 
  

   a 
  line 
  passing 
  through 
  Dakota, 
  Xebraska, 
  Kansas, 
  Indian 
  Territory, 
  and 
  

   Texas 
  irrigation 
  is 
  almost 
  universally 
  necessary 
  for 
  success 
  in 
  agricul- 
  

   ture. 
  The 
  eastern 
  boundary 
  of 
  this 
  "arid" 
  region 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  broad 
  

  

  