tion as an aid to the farmer, is seen in the The subject of irrigation, it may well be fact that whereas but a few years since the claimed, is the most important considera- irrigated area was confined to a comparation affecting the welfare of the State as a tively limited locality in the southern whole which has ever confronted the peo-part of the State, irrigation enterprises ple of California. It will be conceded. without question that it is in the develop ment of her agricultural and horticultural possibilities that the greatest and most permanent sources of wealth and prosperity in this State are to be found. being actively promoted all the way from are now either in full operation or are Mexico to the Oregon boundary line. Many localities which in the past most Persistently maintained that irrigation was not needed have fallen into line, and While it is true that many branches of are now prominent in the movement, the industries mentioned have been sucwhich will not cease until cessfully pursued in various localities every acre of arid land without the aid of irrigation, yet it must shall have be conceded that development on those making it productive. All the way from been provided with the means for lines has nearly if not quite reached the San Diego to Shasta comes the note of the utmost extent of which it is capable. inauguration of enterprises by which arid Further progress to any considerable ex lands are to be reclaimed through the aid tent must depend in great measure upon of waters led captive, and fertile lands to the facility with which land and water may be made even more productive through be brought into the closest relationship. the same agency.. The periodical sumFor many years it was considered a mark ming up of the growth in population and of superiority for any particular locality to wealth of the State and Nation emphasizes be able to claim that "crops could be grown with all the force of indisputable facts without irrigation." Why this should and figures that the greater portion of have been so is one of those things that the advancement made in this State passes understanding. When it is learned within the past decade has been almost that, through irrigation, the single great exclusively confined to those districts element of chance is eliminated from the operations of the farmer, who is thereby where irrigation is practiced. As will be shown in detail, the contrast between made independent of the freaks and these localities and those where irrigation Idiosyncrasies of the weather and is enabled to plow and plant in the absolute is unavailable, or where opportunities for certainty of harvesting, whether the rain- of, is simply startling. Without excepso doing have not been taken advantage fall be light or heavy, one would naturally tion, wherever irrigation enterprises have suppose that such a boon would be re- been inaugurated, there has been a rapid garded as little less than priceless. Cer- growth in both population and wealth. tainly if an Eastern farmer were asked Thousands of acres of hitherto worthless what was the greatest drawback under lands have been converted into orchards which he labored, he would assuredly reply that it was the painful irregularity of the rainfall, through which his fields were liable to be flooded at one time or burned up at another, and were he to be assured that an easily found remedy existed therefor he would go to any extent to avail himself thereof. These facts are coming to be better understood all the time, and it has gradually come about that irrigation, instead of being regarded as a process to be avoided, if possible, and only made use of when driven to by necessity, is now welcomed as a means of escape from bondage, and one of the greatest boons that was ever devised for the benefit of the tillers of the soil. The remarkable advance that has been made in the popular confidence in irriga and vineyards of phenomenal productiveness. Cities and towns have sprung up in an almost magical manner, railroads have been built in every direction, and wealth has multiplied by tens of millions. On the other hand, with few exceptions, the unirrigated sections have either stood still or have actually retrograded. Population has in many cases fallen off, wealth has decreased and a general era of stagnation has set in. lack of necessity for irrigation has lost its The old cry of the force. It is true it is still sometimes heard, but the question need no longer be discussed. It is sufficient to point to the undeniable records showing the comparative progress of irrigated and unirrigated sections. In the face of those records the most ardent anti-irrigationist must hold his peace. He is not left with an argument which is not completely answered beforehand. It is Important as irrigation is, however, and great as has been the progress made during the last decade, a critical point has now been reached. Difficulties have arisen which require to be surmounted if any great degree of further development is to be expected. From a merely local or individual question irrigation has become a subject of national importance. useless, however, to look to the general Government for assistance in this matter, and hence the difficulties must be met and conquered at home, or at least within the boundaries of this State. What those difficulties are and how it is proposed to meet them it is the task of the CHRONICLE to show, and they will be briefly outlined here. The first systems of irrigation made use of in California were of the crudest character. A single settler near some source of supply built a small canal and diverted the water upon his own land. Sometimes a dozen or more neighboring farmers joined in a sort of co-operative plan and constructed and maintained the canal together. Only the most readily and cheaply obtainable water was utilized. No expensive work was done on the canals, there being rarely any outlay beyond the personal services of the irrigators themselves. Many such systems were constructed without the expenditure of a dollar in money. This plan lasted very well so long as irrigation was practiced on but a small scale and population remained sparse. But as time went on the land became occupied by thousands who desired water for irrigation. Individual enterprise and capital were unequal to the task of supplying this demand, and hence arose the stock company for the construction of irrigation works. Canals were built costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and water was diverted from every available source. Under this system many of the most prosperous settlements in the State were founded, and millions of dollars were invested, which bore fruit in the rapid increase of population and wealth. As time went on, however, it became apparent that, valuable as this method of irrigation development had proved, it possessed features which were of an objec tionable character. It tended to the crea tion of a monopoly in water, by which the owners of land needing irrigation were at the mercy of corporations who had the power to increase the rates demanded at their own will. Obliged to have the water or see his growing crops perish from drought, the farmer found himself in at most unpleasant situation, and a very little experience showed the necessity of so complete a wedding of land and water that the one should control the other, and there should be no diversity of interest. Then, too, all the easily available sources of supply were utilized, while there still remained many millions of acres of land desiring and needing irrigation. To provide such lands with water involved the expenditure of vast sums, far beyond what private capital could be induced to invest. Storage reservoirs were seen to be a necessity, while the construction of expensive systems of canals was needed to cover the vast area of arid lands that could only be made productive through the aid of irrigation. Various suggestions were made to meet the emergency, and finally from the necessities of the situation and the crystallization of opinion upon the subject arose the passage of the measure known as the Wright Irrigation law. As amended that law is given herewith, being the founda-.} tion upon which there is certain to be a growth through irrigation development has been accomplished heretofore. That which shall throw into the shade all that law has stood the tests of the courts, has, been pronounced constitutional by repeated decisions, and is regarded wherever irrigation is a necessity as an epitome of the best knowledge upon the subject. This law provides for a district system of organization, by which the people in any given section, the lands of which are irrigable from a common source, may form an irrigation district similar to all intents and purposes to a municipal corporation 8 city or county. Having determined upon the source of supply and the most feasible manner of constructing the necessary works, estimates are made of the cost of such works and the people interested are empowered to vote bonds to defray that cost. These bonds are a first lien upon all the property in the district to be benefited, and the payment of interest thereon |