RESULTS OF IRRIGATION. 207 



RESULTS OF IRRIGATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA. 



A. l\ IIUXTKK, KEDMELl), S. I). 



I will coiiHue myself to the results obtained on the Huuter-Salxer 

 farm at Mellette, S. D. As most of j-ou are aware, we conducted an 

 experimental station there durinjj the past season, 1895, with most 

 satisfactory result;*; in fact, we were all surprised at the wonderful 

 success of the experiment. We Hnd that all kintJs of ji^rain, vej^e- 

 tables, grasses and forage plants usuallj- grown in Illinois, Iowa, 

 Wisconsin or Minnesota, can be grown most successfully here. With 

 irrigation we are sure of as large a crop every year as they are in 

 their best season, and I find in traveling through these states that 

 they have their poor years as well as Dakota. The land used for the 

 experiment has not been irrigated since the fall of 1894, and has re- 

 tained plenty of moisture since, thus showing that it is possible to 

 grow two good croi)S with one application of water. This is where 

 we have a great advantage over countries where they have to irri- 

 gate several times each season. Our black loam and clay subsoil 

 holds the moisture a long titne, as we have no sub-drainage, aii'l 

 our evaporating season is short. One piece of laud irrigated in the 

 fall of 1893 produced sixty bushels of oats in 1894 and thirty-four 

 bushels of wheat in 1895; last fall it plowed up nice and moist, and I 

 expect will grow a good crop of potatoes in 189() without irrigating. 

 The fact is, if we have anj' moisture in our subsoil, we have rain 

 enough to grow a crop every year. The result of irrigation the past 

 season was 34 bushels wheat per acre, TS^o' bushels oats, 210 bushels 

 potatoes, 3 tons millet, corn only about 30 bushels as we were late 

 in planting, and most of it got frosts early in the fall; unirrigated 

 wheat 12 bushels, oats 20 bushels, corn 10 bushels, millet ^o ton, po- 

 tatoes 60 bushels. 



The largest yield of wheat on the farm was Sl^o bushels to the 

 acre in 189:^, it being irrigated about the time it began to head. The 

 smallest yield was 34 bushels in 1895, on land irrigated in the fall of 

 18(t4. Oats on this farm in 1S94 averaged O) bushels per acre from 

 fall irrigation. In 1895 they were irrigated during the growing sea- 

 son and averaged 78^2 bushels. I believe that the yield of both 

 wheat and oats would have been larger if we had used more seed. 

 This year we will seed 1^2 bushels of wheat and 2^4 bushels of oats. 



The best results were obtained from potatoes by irrigating them 

 •when in blossom. Water should be run between the rows and not 

 allowed to get up on the vines. They should be cultivated as soon 

 as possible after applying the water to prevent the land from bak- 

 ing. As irrigation prolongs their growth, late varieties should be 

 planted early to mature before the fall frosts. The same thing ap- 

 plies to corn— it should not be irrigated late in the season, and earlj- 

 varieties should be used. I believe in fall irrigation for grain or 

 after it is up high enough to shade the ground. Potatoes, corn, and 

 all hoe crops should be irrigated during the growing season and 

 then cultivated. Deep plowing brings best results. 



Irrigation is no longer an experiment in South Dakota. Our farm 

 of 800 acres will pay six per cent on a valuation of $«)0 per acre. It 



