conserve and supply water for
irrigation prevailed even in most ancient times. Extensive irrigation
works were built in Egypt three thousand years ago, and in India, China,
Persia, and the countries bordering on the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers
irrigation dates back centuries before the Christian era.

The Romans introduced irrigation into southern Europe. When Pizarro
conquered the empire of the Incas he found the people possessed of
wonderful systems for irrigation. Likewise, Cortez found the Aztecs
making extensive canals. Remains of great irrigation works are found
to-day in Arizona and New Mexico, where our modern engineers wisely
adopt the canal routes which were established by a race now extinct.

At the present time India is irrigating twenty-five million acres of
land, the United States thirteen million, Egypt seven million, and Italy
three million. It is estimated that the United States has left one
hundred and eighty million acres of arid and semi-arid land available
for reclamation and four times as much that is incapable of being
reclaimed.

No other question of to-day is of such vital and far-reaching importance
as that of the reclamation of the millions of acres of sleeping arid
lands in the western part of our country. Mines may be exhausted,
forests slain, and cities annihilated, but wastes made fruitful through
the potency of water will remain everlasting sources of wealth to the
nation.

During the last few years our government has been very active in
promoting irrigation by building impounding dams and constructing canals
and tunnels for the delivery of water. In connection with the various
irrigation works the government has already established five
hydro-electric plants which furnish water, motive power, and light as
may be required. From the big Roosevelt Dam and the drops of the level
in the canal connected therewith, twenty-six thousand horse-power will
be developed incidental to the reclamation of two hundred thousand acres
of land.

The miracle-working agent, water, has already reclaimed thirteen million
acres of our domain, and these areas now produce two hundred and sixty
million dollars annually; moreover, they furnish homes to more than
three hundred thousand people. Prosperous rural communities with
thousands of happy, rosy-cheeked children, blooming orchards, broad,
fertile fields prolific beyond comparison, and flourishing cities
replace wastes of sand and sage-brush.

The Unite