Edible l J rod%icis. 



218 



[MarcIh 1908. 



Distribution op Water.— The method 

 employed in the rice district to distri- 

 bute water from the large canals has 

 proved fairly satisfactory. A superin- 

 tendent of distribution is employed by 

 each large plant, and the duties of this 

 officer are defined by his employers. 

 The superintendent has personal super- 

 vision and ostensible control of the head- 

 gates through which water is drawn 

 from the main canal. Under him ate a 

 number of assistants, usually one for 

 every 2,500 or 3,000 acres irrigated. 

 These assistants walk the levees and 

 keep them intact. Weak places are 

 watched closely and breaks promptly 

 repaired. The assistants also keep a 

 watchful eye upon the growing rice, and 

 especially upon the fall of the water in 

 the fields and report when, in their 

 judgment, additional water is needed. 

 When such a call for water is made, the 

 superintendent, by order or in person, 

 opens the proper headgate and allows 

 sufficient water to flow out and then 

 closes the gate. His assistant attends 

 to the distribution of the water, seeing 

 that the cuts are properly covered and 

 that the supply furnished is economi- 

 cally used. This is the system of water 

 distribution both in Louisiana and Texas, 

 and during favourable seasons, it mu'-t 

 be admitted, has worked with a fair 

 degree of satisfaction. The fact that 

 water is not sold for cash anywhere in 

 the rice district, but is furnished for one- 

 fifth of the crop, whatever that crop 

 may be, greatly encourages co-operation 

 between the parties interested. The 

 companies which supply water have 

 almost as great an interest in securing 

 as large a crop as possible from every 

 acre of land irrigated as the tenant who 

 owns neither land nor water, but de- 

 pends for a living wholly upon the crop 

 he raises. 



Legislation in Louisiana.— The irri- 

 gation industry in the rice districts is con- 

 fronted with the question of the control 

 and division of the water supplies. 

 Since the industry is comparatively new 

 to Louisiana, this question has received 

 but little consideration there. The 

 industry has developed so rapidly during 

 the past decade, however, that millions 

 of gallons of water are beiug drawn 

 from the streams of this State every 

 minute during a third of the year, and it 

 is believed that it will add to the stabi- 

 lity of the rice-growing industry if water 

 rights can be placed on a firm founda- 

 tion. 



An examination of the constitution of 

 Louisiana reveals only one article bear- 

 ing on the subject of water titles. This 

 article declares " Riparian owners of 

 property on navigable rivers, lakes or 



streams within any city or town in this 

 State having a population in excess of 

 5.000 shall have the right to erect and 

 maintain on the banks owned by them 

 such wharves, buildings and improve- 

 ments as may be required for the pur- 

 poses of commerce and navigation 

 subject to certain conditions." 



The statutes of the State contain brief 

 mention of the appropriation of water 

 for agricultural purposes. One section 

 provides redress against the consumer of 

 water for irrigation who neglects to 

 meet his obligation to the canal owner 

 for the supply furnished. The words of 

 the statute are as follows: — "Any 

 person, association of persons or corpor- 

 ation who shall furnish water to another 

 for tlie purpose of aiding or assisting 

 him in the growing or maturing of a 

 crop shall have the privilege co-equal 

 with the privilege for supplies upon said 

 crop to secure the payment of the agreed 

 compensation therefor." 



At the same time the Legislature pro- 

 vided for taxing the rice growers, and at 

 the session of 1900 the rice growers of the 

 upland prairies received protection from 

 unlawful diversion, and the canal owners 

 from interference with the headgates by 

 water users, by the provisions of the 

 following section :— '' Any person who 

 shall knowingly or willfully cut, dig, 

 break down, open, close or dam any 

 canal, ditch, intake, flume or levee, the 

 property of another, for the purpose of 

 irrigation or drainage, with the intent 

 to maliciously injure any person, asso- 

 ciation of persons or corporation for his 

 own use or advantage, unlawfully and 

 Avithout permission, with intent of 

 stealing, taking or causing water to run 

 or pour out of such canal, ditch, flume 

 or levee, and applying the same to his 

 own or other's advantage or to the 

 injury of others, or by constructing a 

 dam or other obstruction in a canal, 

 ditch or intake so as to prevent or inter- 

 fere with the use of water by others, he, 

 she or they so offending shall be deemed 

 guilty of a misdemeanour, and on con- 

 viction thereof shall be fined in a sum 

 not less than 50 dollars, nor more than 

 500 dollars, or imprisoned in the prison 

 gaol not less than ten days nor more 

 than six months, or both, at the discre- 

 tion of the Court." 



Legislation in Texas. —In the revised 

 statutes of 1895 there is an important 

 advance iu the direction of establishing 

 irrigation in Texas upon a firm footing. 

 The following is an abstract of this 

 law: — 



Art. 3115. — All unappropriated waters 

 of the State, ordinary flow, underflow, 

 storm and rainfall, where the rainfall is 



