94 J. W. BOULTBEE. 



being estimated that the duty of this volume of water is 250 acres. 

 The State Engineer, Mr. Wm. Ham Hall, who is at the present 

 time, I believe, reporting upon the question of water conservation 

 generally, for the Government of the Cape of Good Hope, in 1891 

 pointed out what a marked effect upon land values the institution 

 of the Gage system of artesian wells had at Riverside. There 

 was a large area of land above the existing canal, to which there 

 was but small expectation of bringing water. This land is 

 described as being worth ten dollars per acre, while that under 

 irrigation at Riverside was worth 250 dollars per acre. The con- 

 struction of the Gage artesian wells and canal brought the water 

 to these dry lands, and at once increased their value from ten 

 dollars to 200 and 500 dollars per acre. 



In the Dakotas, Kansas, Colorado, Texas, as well as other States 

 in the arid region of America, irrigation from artesian sources 

 has been largely and successfully carried out, and the areas irri- 

 gated by the wells insure to the farmer a certain return for his 

 labour in the worst season. Professor R. T. Hill in his report on 

 the Occurrence of Artesian and other Underground Water in 

 Texas, Eastern New Mexico and Indian Territory, west of the 

 97th meridian, published in 1892 by the U.S. Agricultural Depart- 

 ment in part iii. of the Final Report of Artesian and Underflow 

 Investigation, says of the artesian waters of the Black and Grand 

 Prairies, the greatest artesian belt of Texas : — " In no portion of 

 the country has there been a grander development of artesian 

 wells than in the past five years in the Grand and Black Prairie 

 regions of Texas. At numerous places throughout its extent 

 magnificent flows of water have been secured, and what ten years 

 ago was in many places a poorly watered district, now abounds in 

 magnificent artesian wells, which supply water to cities and farms 

 in quantity large enough to make many new industries possible 

 besides furnishing water to irrigate many thousands of acres. The 

 wells vary in depth from fifty to nearly 2000 feet, with every 

 intervening depth. They also vary in volume or flow from less 

 than a gallon a minute to a thousand, and in pressure from 



