Show irrigation no project under governmental auspices lias received such universal attention ID the west as alie inquiry now in progress by a senatorial committee into the possibilities and ad vantages of a lucre perfect plan of artificial irrigation some members of the committee haie recently visited territory but no olli cial meeting of the committee has yet been bield liere they ahne lately been in session at various cities in dakota and more recently ha 8 made certain investigations in montana ro far the result of their inquiry has been ia the highest degree satisfactory that is it has shown that ia every section of the great west there is alt one opinion as to the kalua and necessity of a well considered scheme for supplying both the arid and the cultivated lands with additional mo lature on another point also the committee lias met with gratifying success its members leavo been convinced that the difficulties in tha w ay of securing the needed supply are by no means insurmountable and that in almost every section visited the expenditure of in driving artesian wells draft bog out canals or constructing ting storage reservoirs would be in alie course of a few years more than met in the increased yield of the soil and the increase value of the land at a meeting n sioux falls dakota called by the committee the general drift of lie remarks was that much of that territory especially the upper missouri valley would be greatly benefited by more moisture and that the artesian well system is the only means of irrigation in other parts of the same section canals were deemed preferable to artesian wells aa being less expensive and more certain of furniE ih ing a large supply at a meeting in miles city montana held on the ath credible witnesses testified that a period of ten years the crop product of the land properly irrigated bulj be ho times as great as that of land was dependent for on raiff all alone it waa testified that from the mountains to the mouth of the yellowstone aher there are acres of land that could be irrigated by water from the yellowstone low stone that custer county was already supporting bead of cattle that no better farming laud was to be found in the country than that of this section and that for want of irrigation it was not possible to get from the soil anything like the best results similar showings may be expected from alio majority maji rity cf the localities cali ties visited by alie committee butali is especially interested in the result of these and in the action shall be taken on the report our settlers have made of irrigation a practical study and have achieved under it wonderful success hut tho experience of the last two years lias been enough to convince us eliat until a more elaborate system shall ba introduced we have nearly reached our limit it thero were waters to be had the com of conducting them apon alie millions cf uncultivated acres would in process of tune be met cut in dry seasons euh as the last ano there is ac arcely a drop which can be thus utilized the hear kaver perhaps tle only exception among all the streams how into the great SAU lake and the bothell cinal as all know the appropriation of that surplus when this areat undertaking der taking ahall lie an event which ewy resident devoutly hopes fur hueie ran we turn for farther supplies naturally there can be but one answer wo must store up the millions of callona which flow to waste during the wet season and consume hem as needed during the drouth this is a subject which thoughtful men have been con fur years it la the one apua which they anticipate much light and valuable suggestions from alie inquiries of the committee commil tee aad ita corps of experts |