of

Every year the valleys of all streams and small creeks are full of wild fruits, such as five kinds of plums, three kinds of grapes, mulberries, currants, elderberries, also walnut, pecan, and other nuts.

I have now an orchard of domestic fruits, including peach, plum, currant, mulberry, and apricot trees, and gooseberry and raspberry bushes; also vigo grapes and a great many forest trees. All are doing well.

Rain has increased very notably ever since I moved to this place. The proof of the same is the showing of our crops. Where the country is not overstocked with cattle and sheep the grasses seem to take a stronger hold in the ground. I have the alfalfa and the Johnson grass growing here in perfection.

Mr. Morgan Jones, president of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Company, writes under date, Fort Worth, Tex., September 11, 1885, as follows:

In reply to yours asking for information as to water supply, &c., I would submit the following observations, derived from the locality of our road. Our line commences at Fort Worth, Tex., and runs in a northwesterly direction to Wichita Falls, a distance of 114 miles. Starting at this point, Fort Worth, we find an abundance of reliable water, both from the Trinity River and from wells, the latter at a depth of an average of 280 feet; after leaving this point, and throughout the extent of our line, the supply of water for locomotive use from wells is quite precarious.. At several points we have bored wells to a depth of 300 feet, and so far we have found but one or two that yielded any considerable supply of water. These wells would furnish an abundant supply for family use, but no deep wells have been bored for the purpose of reaching artesian water. With these difficulties, our experience has led us to adopt and rely upon the use of artificial supplies of water. The average rainfall along the line is about 24 inches per annum. It is probable four-fifths of this supply falls during the winter and spring months, the remaining mon ths very seldom giving a rain of sufficient amount to flow on the surface. The result is, we have a few months that give us high waters in the streams, and give a large flow of water in the depressions and ravines over the surface of the country

By selecting the proper places for reservoirs we can, at small expense, locate a dam that will hold the water that flows into a ravine during the wet season, and this furnishes an abundant supply for the whole year. This method of water supply is now adopted by many stockmen, and experience shows it is a cheap and reliable source of water supply for the country at large.

These reservoirs, when constructed so that the retained water shall obtain a considerable depth, remains pure and of moderate coolness through the hot season, giving water suitable for drinking and domestic purposes.

It is affirmed by the old settlers that the rainfall is materially on the increase, and I would say that my own observations confirm this opinion. If this increase goes on, we may expect in a few years to have more reliable supplies of water from subterranean sources, and a resort to wells for such supplies may become practicable.

Mr. J. E. Wallace, of the Texas Pacific Railroad, sends the following tabular statement, showing wells on the Rio Grande Division thereof:

Fort Worth.

West

Numerous streams, having their fountain-heads far up in the mountains, flow eastward into the valleys. Beginning up in the mountains on some of these streams, so as to get elevations of several hundred feet above the valleys, irrigation canals have been constructed and carried out along the uplands 50 to 100 miles. From these main canals ditches, usually called laterals, are constructed, so as to carry water to the farms along the slopes and down in the valleys. The water is brought in the lateral to the highest part of the farm, and if the crop be in drills, such as potatoes or corn, it is allowed to run between the drills. If the field be in wheat or oats or other such crop, trenches of 12 to 18 inches wide, made with the plow or shovel, are run from the highest part to the lowest, at distances of 50 to 100 feet apart. If the slope of the field be not too great these trenches are usually made in direct lines, but if the slope be such as to cause the water to run too fast the trenches are made diagonally, so as to obtain a proper grade, or are made in a winding course, according to the contour of the ground. The water from these trenches is rapidly absorbed by the loose, cultivated soil, until almost, if not every part of the land between the trenches is made moist. Should any portion not be receiving sufficient water the man in charge of the irrigation makes a small trench to that part with his shovel. If the field be large the water is let upon only a part of it at a time, and when that part has received enough moisture the water is turned off it and is turned on another part. The water is turned off or on certain parts of the field by simply throwing a few shovelfuls of earth across the "head," or upper end of the trench, or by taking out a few shovels of earth, as the case may be. Two irrigations, equaling each time a rainfall of 3 to 5 inches, are usually sufficient for wheat, and more than three irrigations are never applied to it. following diagram illustrates the method in use:

The

LETTER OF THE STATE ENGINEER.

Hon. E. L. Nettleton, the State engineer of Colorado, transmits to the Commissioner of Agriculture a copy of his annual report, and writes as follows:

Regarding the ownership, control, and value of water in our State for the purpose of irrigation, I will say that, under our constitution and laws, the water of every natural stream belongs to the public and is under the control of the State. The right to divert any unappropriated water for a beneficial use can never be denied. Priority of appropriation is recognized in this way. Those using the water for domestic purposes have the preference; the next preference is given to those using it for agricultural purposes; after these comes the right to use it for manufacturing purposes. The law requires every appropriator of water from the natural streams to prove his claims as to date and amount of appropriation. When this is done, and four years have elapsed (in which to correct any errors that may occur in dates and quantity), such claims become valid and a matter of record. The State engineer and water commissioners are the officers of the law to look after the division of public waters, according to the rights of each appropriator.

This method of establishing and protecting the rights of the people to the use of the public waters seems to be as good as can be aevised, and much has been done within the last five years in enacting and enforcing good laws, which have given great value and confidence to irrigation enterprises within the State.

The cubic foot per second is the unit of measure of water generally used, especially by the large irrigation companies.

When the water is sold in perpetuity by the canal proprietors to the agriculturist, the former generally agree to furnish and measure it at the canal, and receive about $750 for a cubic foot per second, which is to be furnished during the irrigation season, or from May 15 to August 15 of each year.

When the water is sold for a single irrigating season it brings from $1.25 to $2.25 per acre.

The duty of a cubic foot of water per second varies with the kind of soil and the crop irrigated, but may be assumed to be capable of irrigating 55 acres on an average. I predict that the duty of water for irrigation purposes will be increased very materially within the next ten years. This will be brought about mainly by better preparation of the land and ditches and a more skillful application of the water.

While the observations of the rain-gauge do not show any increase of moisture precipitated as rain and snow for the past fifteen years, yet there is a very perceptible increase in the humidity of the atmosphere surrounding the irrigated districts.

In these places it is now a very common thing, after a still and clear night, to find heavy dews on the vegetation in the morning, while in the unirrigated places on the plains dews are seldom seen.

I have yet to learn of any ill effect upon the health of the people in the irrigated districts of Colorado caused by irrigation.

Reversed irrigation or drainage has been practiced but little in our State, although it is needed in some places.

Water in perpetuity for an acre is more valuable than the land before the water is applied, the former being worth from $10 to $15 per acre, while the latter in its native condition is only worth from $1.25 to $5 per acre.

The amount of agricultural land in our State is limited by the amount of water available, hence the water for irrigation purposes is a key to the growth and prosperity of agricultural interests in Colorado.

Our country is comparatively new, therefore it is exceedingly difficult to collect reliable data concerning these things.

DESCRIPTION OF THE WATER DISTRICTS.

Under the admirable system adopted in this State the irrigable area is divided as follows for purposes of distribution, supervision, and the adjudication of claims and disputes:

District No. 1, South Platte division.—This district comprises the lands irrigated from ditches and canals taking water from the South Platte River, between its intersection with the State line of Colorado and Nebraska, and the mouth of the Cache la Poudre River. There has been filed a statement of seventeen ditches and canals. The total amount of water claimed by all ditches on record is 5,404.78 cubic feet per second. Since 1882 several large canals have been constructed. It is claimed that the flow of water in the Platte River through this district is much more uniform than formerly, which is undoubtedly true, and is due to the effect of the irrigating canals on the stream above by reducing its flow in the flood season. After high water its