MODES AND RESULTS OF IRRIGATION. 581 
For our main crop of potatoes we depend first on the Neshannock, and next on the 
Early Goodrich. Of the first I have raised over 400 bushels tothe acre; the average 
yield is 150 to 200 bushels. Bottom land will produce most, but on upland the quality 
18 superior. Some cover with a plow, and others with a hoe, in well-prepared furrows. 
1 plant in rows 3 feet apart and 18 inches in the row, harrowing just as they are 
coming up; then work with a double shovel, and lay by with a single shovel. The 
Early Rose has done well, but whether it is best for general planting or not remains to 
be seen, Potatoes are injured by being flooded; to run the water between the rows 
is sufficient. Last yearI raised 1,100 bushels on the bottom, and did not irrigate at all. 
We have had much trouble with grasshoppers, though not of late years, and we have 
learned so to manage them that our crops never fail wholly. I see there are no eggs 
laid this year; when they are laid it is a good plan in plowing to bury them deep. 
There are several kinds of grasshoppers, but there is only one variety which does any 
harm. When they came thick we used to open all the ditches, and conduct them on down 
“ far as they could float, and thus the farms above were rid of part of them, at least. 
hey never cover a whole county ; and sometimes they destroy only a part or a corner 
of a fielf, and then suddenly disappear. 
Mr. Elisha Evans, of Denver, finds objections to flooding land, inas- 
much as on parts of the field water will be likely to stand and cause the 
ground to bake; hence he is in favor of making the ground as level as 
possible, and then using a machine which causes the water to run in 
little channels, a method which would seem to commend itself. He 
gives the following directions: 1st. Plowdeep. 2d. Avoid “ dead fur- 
rows” as much as possible. 3d. Endeavor to make your land level, 
and keep itso. 4th. Pulverize the soil thoroughly. 5th. Sow pure, 
good seed, and do it properly. 6th. Run your head ditches on a grade 
of not more than a half-inch per rod, and five to twenty rods apart. 7th. 
Run your harrow in the direction you wish to irrigate. 8th. When the 
grain is up and well rooted, the ground moist, (not wet,) roll at right 
angles with your head ditches. 9th. Commence irrigating before the 
crop begins to suffer from drought, and do not quit because you have 
a slight rain-fall. 
THE NEW MEXICAN METHOD. 
All the preceding directions refer to land which lies nearly level, ‘or 
which with some little work can be made so; but it is manifest that 
when land is uneven great difficulties must arise in getting water over 
it. In New Mexico, where irrigation has been practiced over one hun- 
dred years, and where considerable uneven land has been cultivated, 
terraces or benches have been constructed. It seems, however, that in 
the course of time the best of the soil of the upper terraces is washed 
to the lower ones; hence much of such land has become quite poor. In 
the hands of skillful cultivators this evil undoubtedly can be avoided. 
Governor Hunt, living near Denver, has some land of this nature, which 
is used more for the purpose of growing clover than any other crop. 
We give his system of management: ) 
My land being very uneven, I experienced more difficulty than’ those who may 
locate upon more favorable ground, and for this reason was compelled to divide it into 
small beds or lands of 15 to 25 feet, with back furrowing (to form a levee) from three 
to five furrows, and after that threw all the furrows down hill, and finished up with 
shovel and lime; and, when completely and deeply plowed, dragging a heavy stick of 
square timber laterally from end to end of each bed, until all the little elevations were 
dragged into the depressions. I then harrowed it thoroughly, applied plenty of seed, 
and afterward rolled with a heavy roller. The most favorable time to seed is when the 
early spring rains are likely to fall, natural irrigation being far preferable for starting 
such tender plants. A top dressing of fine, well-rotted manure is of the greatest ad- 
vantage in preventing the earth from cracking after the frequent flooding. In case the 
land descends in two or more directions, as is often the case, I divide these long beds 
into others of convenient size, each having a different level, and each provided with a 
bank or level on the lower side of sufficient height and strength to admit of flooding 
to a depth of two inches. If the descent is not too rapid it is much better to level 
each bed so that the water can stand of uniform depth all over it; but when this level- 
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