Show S SPEECH P E E C H or 00 O ov r S EL IM mimo Elto edt ert Of Colorado BEFORE THE convention ios ION OF TRANS MISSOURI STATES AID AND RIES KIES HELD AT DENVER COLO rados OCTOBER irth 1873 mr president and gentlemen of the convention while it is generally known that there is a large district of country west of the missouri river which is comparatively rainless the fact in all its extent of geographical area and industrial importance in all its relations to the pioneer citizens and his wants to the general gov eminent and aud its its duty in the premises has never fully presented itself to the mind of either the legislator or general public nor is this strange the subject has assumed that broad importance which commands general attention only by virtue of its relations to the well being of civil society and civil society in the trans missouri states and territories is of but recent establishment american civilization reaching the region of the great plains laina P is confronted by a new want broad in geographical extent and vital to its industrial life let me state the case THE ARID REGION the 99 meridian of louigi longitude tude west from greenwich the meridian of fort kearney on the platte river marks a divi division slon sion line in the tiie physical geography of the continent here the pra prairies I 1 ries rles merge into the great plains here the abundant rainfall of eastern meridians ans ceases westward lies one hal half f of the geographical area of the united states A alt all of this vast region excepting the maritime front frone of 0 7 the t A e is without sufficient rainfall for the cultivation of the gou soil this is the fact which lies in the pathway of our commercial and industrial du progress and to which we seek to call the att attention brition of the congress and the country this arid region comprises the territories of new mexico arizona colorado wyoming llon Alon alontaga montana tana I 1 idaho utah and the state of nevada together with large portions of california ore oregon n washington dakota Ne nebraska brasno brasCo kansas and texas that la Is to say one third of the geographical area of the republic one million square miles of arid country coun Y 1 this reglo region exhibits a summary of all continental features mou mountain masses extensive late du dilating lating plains fertile valleys rivers lakes and springs two great parallel mountain chains the sierra nevada and the sierra madre traversing the tile entire domain ROM soua SOUM to north eight hun hua dred miles in average breadth of in hig fig lia iia plateau lla cut and goreed gorged by great rivers riven and divided into by y dro graphic basins of great extent by transverse mountain chains the great plains descending by tile the gentlest of slopes from front the bases of the sierra madro madre eastward to the prairie lands of the missouri ri rivera and smaller streams sweeping down from the tile mountain flanks and threading valley and plain aslar as ar teries the ahe human system constin tute tut ethe the grand physical physic al nut put outlines lines iines of this arid region in supreme grandeur of mountain masses in intense beauty of mountain scenery in wide expanse of fertile plain in and mud variety of mineral wealth in salu balu brity of climate brightness ofal of akies desi desp sweetness and purity of air the entire region stands unrivalled and arld supreme the three great facts however which bear the question in hand are first ayr tho region is arid second the productive calabi cities of tho the soil when irrigated arnn arft unsurpassed j third the water supply orn orr butoy rivers properly artilize utilized is abundant to redeem millions of acres which now lie waste the aridity of the region described is well known agriculture without arri irrigation I 1 tion is impossible jo and from it rises arises this condition of things in ail all the states antl and territories mentioned THE SITU the tides of immigration have flowed along the valleys of the rivers and smaller streams ahei the immediate bottom lands have hen ben possessed and brought under cultivation by means of easily constructed t and comparatively inq inexpensive x irrigating canals but agriculture spreading from the riverside niver river faide to the rim of the higher plateaux has bee been u arrested by reason of the greater difficulty and expense of irrigation in other othor words the avri agriculture culture of this region has reached reache zits Tits its limits by the ordinary nar m means eans cans under the co control or w within an the power of the farmer right here hero the footsteps of the the east see seeking kingg home have been stayed he hees fees before him vast undulating pl ains stretch stretching in leagues i away with A a soil which experience has as abundantly proven is A marvelous in its productive capabilities when irrigated but how is he to irrigate it to turn the mighty river from its course and lead it by canals along the commanding slopes that flank its natural course is far beyond the limits of his purse and he turns away dis heartened and seeks other lands or other employments hundreds have thus turned away from colorado during the last year baffled in their thein efforts to se e cure a home within our borders such iq Is the situation the agricultural domain of the united states subject to the operation of the tile homestead and preemption pre emption laws outside of this region is colw comparatively ively exhausted the grea great t annual tides of emigration mm from the east seeking homes under trie the beneficent provisions of our land laws am are halted on the verge of thousands of square equate miles of arid country which irrigated are capable of supporting tho the densest lations of the tile continent to open up a way out of this corla coria complication plied to overcome and subdue this physical fact which fetters their growth and limits their future is the great problem which tod today to d day confronts the people of the trans missouri region before attempting any solution of the difficulty let me turn aside for a moment to saya say a word vord on the subject of irrigation irrigation I 1 do so because irrigation is a subject with which the Anie anle american rican mind is but little familiar and impressions about it when n not erroneous are ill defined and uncertain the fact that agriculture by irrigation has advantages which compensate fully for all extra expense and labor is not generally known or understood except among those who have practiced it let me enumerate a few of these advantages first the alm average yield per um acre is largely increased tho the dill bronce brence in yield springs from various causes the agriculturist who depends on min rain fali tall is subject to irregularities both inthey in the quantity and time of supply on t the e other hand the supply from your canal is such as you to have it crops are cheeked checked and stinted in their growth by failure of rain min for even a short perlo period dorr doru on the tho other hand crops with a regular segul supply of water from the first impulse or of spring until they tipon for sor the harvest to their fullest capabilities and in the greatest perfect perfection ionAs lonas As a proof of thi stake the average yield of crops in colorado where agriculture ag kicul ture turo is exclusively clu by Iril irrigation gallou per acme acre 27 bushels oats cc 55 cc potatoes cc t to sc Oril onions qu cc cc barley 83 CC the average yield and does n ot show the marvelous crops realized nor the perfection anid arid great our grains groins and vegetables J 1 have no hesitancy in jylli agricultural products exhibited ta V the last annual fair of or Vie th e and du us trial Aso association clation a 4 M tilee con ton continent tinen L beloi colorado a type of the entire region and her irrigable agriculture 61 of the last lot ten left years proves her lands lanas a wheat W heat lands especially eual lo 10 the best beat lands lauds of the northwest or the them black lands of russia and the Ia nube again agaid agriculture by irrigation is Ls noh not subject to the contingencies of drought or freshet which result in the tho tb failure of entire crops over large districts of 0 country these edvan tal tai not contingent but constant and far more than compensate for the additional expense of canal construction and manipulation of the water the te testimony stimon of farmers who leavo tried boti both A S mg is universally in favor of a agriculture ri culture by irrigation again in the water used in tion comes 0 es freighted with fertilizing in matter ater held in solution and replaces largely what the gro growing willI crops extract thus a constant system of fertilization is supplied without cost of transportation or distribution this fact I 1 am satisfied is not aullyn fully appreciated prec it forms a a prominent feature in european irrigation A writer in speaking of the tile fertilizing sediment 0 of f tle tie the moselle a alyer of or france bays says though apparently very pure its waters are highly charged with fertilizing material in solution which it leaves leavet as an alluvial crust uron upon the mones tones fl below depinal it has been made to redeem and fertl ilze lize broad gravelly beds transform ehg g them into beautiful green meadows theada yielding crops of two to tei nun fur nero aero gaslight depo deposit it of mud is left velch is increased with each flood in the river after a year the mea d awve to yield in three years it atins a full vigor which it never lo 10 loses rew vew the meadows begun in mt 1527 have never been renewed plowed tip lip or r m yet their choir crom croo crop cron a fb re aft afy good as ever reelus Speaking 1 of the same subject reclus rec C says rays As an instance let us ug a french river which has hag been thoroughly surveyed and anid 4 to ascertain the tho plan its water sand sediment fortha far the Yr irrigation and of the plains by the river picc side ac a according rig to the tho observations of 0 ild ile M nermo herro hc mangon which lasted from rpm jhb fici firem bt november 1859 tp the Oct oci october oUbri 1860 the tho mass gnass of 04 sedini sediment ent bro brought tight light down by the stream during the whole year represents A quantity unfit ity of near tons tona 11 tf f spread read out uniformly on tile the krati adras alluvium woud would aver covet in a yea year i r wi more ore than acres with alyer an inch thick I 1 wa jhb these e alvo illustrations be cause of bf their ll figures I 1 ures utes amaria auy aur ady A dy fa illustration s nii nit might g fit bo be given suit b ut these wib win suffice ee inow sit tit I 1 do naf pretend lock tobi toy thab that our rivers will furnish any suh ua supply tor fertilizing dina sina matter er tiit tilt what I 1 claim 14 inthis taht 11 t lio ito rivers 9 mentioned aap are types bf n nii nil t I 1 rivers river alid arid that tha the streams dirig df bf arld irid re I 1 gion glon t rii ril III ili freight to tv the annd arid ialo landa ianda obby ov ey which whish lher irb quantities of ant tUt Wone brtha ad vantages advantages of irh gable gabie agriculture deture this is local expedience experience dilator y of bf other bou countries n t r ancient and wild modern ai ame are 6 r fuli full u I 1 1 of loc loo hub bub successful af ngn agn i culture by bj irrigation I 1 goi nito rito tuis fot finst first td il the tho a irrigable 1166 second to show am that the tho system which has haa made other arld arid countries the tho garde gardens nis fis of fhe the world the same dorthis for this mr marsh bays tays there are few things in coti continental husbandry which surprise english or american observers so much as the extent to which irrigation Is employed in agriculture in southern europe in the turkish empire and in many other count ries a very large proportion ro fortion of the surface is if I 1 absolutely not I 1 flooded at least thoroughly moistened by irrigation a great ilum number berof of times in the course of every jb eaon lombardy has a population of over or iso persons ti to 0 the square re mile the densest population alua of E europe u rope two thirds of her population are engaged in agriculture and it is the best cultivated country of europe irrigation for which the streams flowing from the alps amford afford amlie ample ample ampie facilities is universally and sk skillfully I 1 11 employed the quantity irrigated in 1850 was estimated at 1100 acres the water of the rivers is so distributed by canals that there are few farms without a copious supply the purchase and sale said of water for irrigation forms a business of much importance the state claims the water of all ther the rivers of lombardy and fa iri the venetian territories nil all the springs and collections collection of rainwater water belong to the government the use of the water is 18 rented out at a certain price by the hour or the half hour or for so many days at certain seasons irrigated lands rent forone for nor one third more than other lands in piedmont in the intense heat beat of the summer the plains become so scorched that crops are only saved aved by irrigation which is developed to great perfection over half a million acres are scored wilh with artificial channels arid for the privilege of using we the water a tax is levied the increased rental of irrigated lands in fit Lom bom lombardy bardy bargy and piedmont is estimated al at thus districts once waste and inhabited by a scanty and impoverished population have been reclaimed and support the densest population of europe w the main stream of theli the po has been utilized by the construction 0 of f the great Cavo cavour tir canal of which reclus says since the above date 1863 the great cavour canal has been opened a perfect artificial river which requires es for itself alone cubic kubic eil ill y yards Q of water a secord second starting from chivdo below turin this river which is nob not less jess than nifty fifty five yards wide wade at its commencement spreads its water oil ori on both sides in the already fertile plains of it receives en route numerous streams the elro the theresia Sesia sepi the theA alogna gogna the pio plo an and at turing empties into the tes tesino neall all ail that remain sj of its liquid mass after aften haluk having irrigated more than acres acres next to the thia great cabak canal of the ganges gangel in hindostan hindustan Hind itis it Is the most important operation of this ednd accomplished in modern timea imes ghie ca can cab q be no doubt thab that tile the po once once so dreaded on account 01 91 its sudden dien dlen 0 floods Q will ultimately be become coue cone in fur conjuncts 11 with ith tue the other water I 1 me s 16 of f a scientifically arranged system aff agriculture t I 1 irrigation is practiced extensively in france and irrigated lands rent at about 21 per acme acre W tat taa while ile lie other lands only bring W 16 the value of irrigated ap land laud is bout about 50 per cent more than lind laud other things being equal in 1856 the irrigated lands of france amounted to about nores and such subh are the ohe advantages of irrigation 4 lff iff is estimated that aa t this I 1 area atod du be quadrupled before the end odthe of the present century cen tuy tut the irrigated lands of granada Murcia and valencia malencia am are regarded da As the tard gArd gardens etis of spain her arri land amounts to about acres aeres in 1888 1886 she enacted an vin elaborate waters framed with witts great liberality with the view of bf fin IYA lifting the investment t 6 of capital in irrigating canals in india canals cabals aud and rosery reservoirs QA I 1 rs for irrigation grigat lon jon exist in 11 I 1 number and 0 great size bize ana and extent P xa constructed by tiie ilia english goutermont go goi at bleat great cost the fresh water canals constructed and constructing in the works of the suez sidel canal |