TALKS WITH PRACTICAL IRRIGA TORS. 



171 



HE DESIRES SOME INFORMATION. 



One of the patrons of THE AGE sends in the follow- 

 ing question, which he desires published. Any 

 answers sent to this office will be forwarded to the 

 gentleman. 



Have any of the readers of THE AGE data on un- 

 derflow development for irrigation purposes? 



First The place, and the amount of water devel- 

 oped ; the general plan of works, length, size, whether 

 open cut, flume or drain tile. 



Second The amount of surface flow prior to un- 

 derflow operations; width of stream or source of sup- 

 ply; extreme depth below supply water; character of 

 soil or gravel bed from which it is taken; grade of 

 stream bed per mile ; grade of underflow work per 

 mile; if drain tile or boxes covered, did any water 

 pass over or was all water drained to level of open- 

 ing; was the supply of water greater or less at differ- 

 ent times of the year? 



GOVERNMENT SEEDS. 



The following item from R. J. Hinton of New York 

 is suggestive: "An attack on the government seed 

 distribution is now the prominent feature of Morton's 

 agricultural statesmanship. Doubtless there is waste, 

 and even the secretary's Nebraska farm is not con- 

 ducted without some of it. But there is another side 

 to the tirade on the seed business. An orchardist in 

 southern Colorado raised 1,600 bushels of apples the 

 past year from a ten-acre orchard. He refused $4 a 

 barrel, or $6,500 for the crop. And it is stated also 

 that the main varieties grown in that orchard, as in so 

 many others in Colorado, grew originally from grafts 

 or seeds imported from Russia, by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture and distributed free by a 

 ' paternal ' government. The Russian variety of 

 apples, so distributed for instance, has alone added a 

 number of millions a year to the taxable values of the 

 west and northwest, yet it cost for distribution but a 

 few thousand." 



IRRIGATED POTATOES. 



Judge J. M. Stout, who is now farming in Washing- 

 ton under irrigation, has this to say in reference to 

 raising potatoes by irrigation: 



" The first step towards a good potato crop is to 

 get the land in good condition. As soon in spring 

 as it will do to go to work, turn on the water and get 

 the soil well moistened. Following a season like this, 

 a heavy watering will not be necessary. I presup- 

 pose the land in good condition last fall. When the 

 soil is right, put in the plow, and plant as you plow. 

 Do not let the land bake. Drop potatoes in every 

 third or fourth furrow. 



" I prefer cutting to a single eye and placing six to 



eight inches apart, according to variety Early Rose, 

 six inches; Burbank, eight inches. 



" I prefer to cover the seed four to five inches. 

 Harrow after the planting and follow with a smoother, 

 or light roller. This leaves the surface in fine condi- 

 tion for the after cultivation. Lay off a ditch between 

 the rows for irrigating. This may be done after the 

 potato plants appear above the surface. 



" When to first turn on the water, watch for indica- 

 tions of getting too dry. When that stage is reached, 

 turn on the water and let it run for twenty-four hours, 

 then stop the flow; and when the land has dried out 

 enough to permit, run through with a small shovel 

 plow. This done, the ditches must be reopened to be 

 in readiness for the next watering. The next time 

 water is needed let it remain about the same time as 

 before and follow with a small diamond plow, throw- 

 ing the dirt toward the potatoes. A third watering 

 and cultivating will be needed. Do not neglect the 

 cultivating whether there be weeds or not. The soil 

 needs the stirring. The last time will be along about 

 the 1st of August. Treated in this way, one will be 

 sure of a good crop of potatoes." 



THEY GIVE SATISFACTION. 



The Union Gas Engine Co., of Los Angeles, con- 

 tinue to have good success in the sale of their engines 

 and pumping plants. Some of their recent sales 

 have been as follows : J. S. Killian, El Monte, Cal., 

 12 horse-power pumping plant; T. K. Underwood, 

 Whittier, Cal., 6 horse-power pumping plant ; Pacific 

 Coast Oil Co., Newhall, Cal., 12 horse-power oil 

 engine ; Charles Hollenbeck, Manzana, 12 horse- 

 power pumping plant; Emil Gotleiber, Los Angeles, 

 4 horse-power pumping plant; Joseph Bayor, Los 

 Angeles, 4 horse-power oil engine; Crescent Coal 

 Co., Los Angeles, 4 horse-power pumping engine and 

 4 horse-power hoisting engine ; Las Fuentes ranch, 

 Santa Barbara, 3 horse-power hoisting engine ; Key- 

 stone Mining Co., Manvel, Cal., 12 horse-power hoist- 

 ing engine. Complete information as to the success 

 had with these plants can be obtained by writing the 

 above parties. 



PROFIT IN BEET SUGAR. 



The Watsonville, Cal., beet sugar factory has just 

 closed its annual run, having reduced 65,400 tons 

 of beets raised in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, 

 for which was paid $5 per ton, or $327,000, to the pro- 

 ducers. From this product was obtained 7,800 tons 

 of raw sugar, which, at $60 per ton, would give to the 

 factory for the season's run 



New York advices state that Eastern capital will 

 be interested in the irrigation enterprise at McCook, 

 Neb. An expert has been sent to make an examin- 

 ation. 



