Irrigation is carried on quite generally along /he Niobrara and White rivers and their tributaries. There are no public ditches, but farmers have co-operated in the construction of systems to supply water to small areas of firstbottom and terrace land. In some years, as in the summer of 1915, there is sufficient rainfall to make irrigation unnecessary. A large project for irrigation along the White river was inaugurated near Crawford about twenty years ago, with a capital of $150,000. This

was expended, but obstacles were encountered which prevented the completion of the project and the results obtained were of little importance. The small private ditches, however, have proved very successful. Alfalfa is the main crop grown under irrigation, although some wild-hay land is irrigated. Practically all the terrace and first-bottom land along the White river and the first-bottom soils along the Niobrara river are irrigable.

Stock Raising and Other Interesting Facts

About five years ago Harry B. Coffee made a statement which is reproduced here relative to stock-raising, there being no better authority on the subject. It is full of interesting facts on other matters also:

Fifteen years ago most of the land north and west of White river was government land and free range through to Cheyenne river. In those days most ranchmen in northern Dawes county ran their herds on this range in the summer months and shipped them in the fall, except what they reserved to carry over for the next season and these they took home.