In both cases it runs away in utter waste.
In later years the Spanish owners of the soil had the necessity of the system impressed upon them by force of circumstances; and large sums were spent upon the construction of irrigating channels, even in the outlying states of the North.
In the American territory recently acquired from Mexico history has repeated itself in a most curious way.

We learn from Froebel, the German traveller, that the new American settlers did not take kindly to the system of irrigation which they found at work in the country.

They were not used to it, and it interfered with their ideas of liberty by placing restrictions upon their doing what they pleased on their own land.

So they actually allowed many of the water-canals to fall into ruins.

Of course they soon began to find out their mistake, and are probably investing heavily in water-supply by this time.