33 



into a natural lake bed and thence to a neighboring creek. The cost 

 of this well was 83,500, and of the ditches about $250. 



The ditches are located so that about ten quarter sections can 

 receive water. There aijpears to be a good natural reservoir here 

 which would hold all the winter's flow, rendering it available for the 

 next summer, though a few cuts, possibly 10 feet deep, would be 

 needed to carrj- the outflow to some of the land. By this means at 

 least two additional sections could be irrigated from this well. All 

 those who formerly used water from this well have since sold out and 

 moved away. The man who most successfully used water was Mr. 

 M. O. Bessernd, who reported yields during the two j'ears he used the 

 water, as follows: Wheat, 30 to 32 bushels per acre; onions, 250 

 bushels per acre; oats, 60 to 90 bushels per acre; and large amounts 

 of garden vegetables ; this, too, in a dry year (1895) when the unwatered 

 crops were almost a failure. He was well pleased with his results, and 

 made this statement at the close of his report to the State engineer ^ 

 irrigation : "I am more than jDleased with the results of m}^ first year's 

 irrigating, and will never again be caught at dry farming when water 

 can be had." 



The wells in Bonilla township (township 113 north, range 04 west), 

 though intended for irrigation, have never been used except to flood 

 the pasture land and so increase the feed. No one seems to care to 

 attempt farming by irrigation from them. 



The most successful irrigators in Beadle County are the Joy Broth- 

 ers, who oiDcrate a large market garden near Huron. Their land is 

 located on section 18, township 110 north, range 01 west, 2 miles south 

 of Huron. The}" have a 3-incli well 825 feet deep, which furnishes 

 about 150 gallons per minute, and have about 100 acres under irriga- 

 tion. They store water in a reservoir covering about 5 acres, which 

 thej^ can fill to a depth of 4 feet. This is used on a field of about 30 

 acres on tlie river l)ottom, the main gardens being irrigated directly 

 from the well. The water is carried through 4-inch tile pipes laid to 

 grade with cemented joints, so that no water is lost. At intervals tees 

 or elbows are put in, a short piece of iron pipe being cemented in, 

 in which a screw plug is placed. Water is let out when wanted by 

 removing this plug and is carried in oi)en ditches to the place of use. 

 This pipe cost about 10 cents a foot placed, and Mr. Joj^ says it is one 

 of the most paying investments on the farm. It was laid in the old 

 open ditch and mounded over about 2 feet deej), the ridges forming 

 patlis through the fields. 



The cost of applying water to the land — that is, the labor of dis- 

 tributing it — is about $1.25 per acre per year. The cost of ditching is 

 merely nominal, as a plow furrow in the proper direction is all that is 

 needed. Joy Brothers have conducted this garden since 1890 and 

 have met and overcome many of the difficulties which others have 



829— No. 148—04 3 



