THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



171 



As above stated, if he wants a pound of 

 cheese he asks someone else what he must 

 pay for it, and if he wishes to sell a dozen 

 of eggs he asks the same man what he 

 must take for them. American farmers 

 must rise above this condition or they will 

 never command a proper place in the bus- 

 iness, social or political world. 



How are they to do it? It is always 

 easy to criticise a state of facts, but not 

 always easy to suggest a remedy for it. 

 But certainly a road is open to the Amer- 

 ican farmer and it is as clear as a turn- 

 pike. Do business on the farm in the 

 same careful manner that it is carried on 

 in the store or the factory. Know the 

 cost of every article produced, and know 

 what it should be worth in the markets, 

 taking into account all the conditions 

 affecting its production and sale, as the 

 amount produced, cost of transportation, 

 and all the other factors of a problem 

 which can be as easily solved by the farm- 

 er as by the merchant, if the former will 

 but devote the necessary time and talent 

 to its accomplishment. The example of 

 the men who plowed under a part of their 

 wheat crop, in Kansas, in order to increase 

 the price of that staple has been previous- 

 ly cited in these columns. Such a per- 

 formance, though infinitely puerile and 

 absurd, is, nevertheless, a most excellent 

 object lesson showing the petty provincial- 

 ism of some farmers who have the unhap- 

 piness to believe themselves well informed. 

 Some wag years ago related au amusing 

 anecdote of the late Horace Greeley, 

 which of course was not true, yet seems 

 to show the kind of wisdom that some- 

 times commands a premium even among 

 farmers. The story was that a young 

 man wrote to Mr. Greeley from Colorado 

 asking him to recommend a proper course 

 to be pursued in improving the breed of 

 his sheep. Mr. Greeley promptly replied 

 that the young farmer should import a 

 good hydraulic ram from Vermont for that 

 purpose. 



The main purpose of this article is to 

 impress upon the American farmers the 

 important nature of their calling and to 

 suggest ways and means of properly up- 

 holding the dignity which by right of its 

 essential nature belongs to it, especially 

 in the United States. 



Prof. Roberts says, ' ' I would as soon 

 deposit $50 in a bank week after week, 

 knowing that no account was kept at the 

 bank, as to run a dairy without knowing 

 how much each cow gave me and how 

 much it cost me to get it." 



The continuous soaking of land or crop 

 is sure to result in injury. One cubic foot 

 of water per second will cover an acre one 

 inch deep in an hour. 



Remember that wherever water can be 

 obtained there trees can be made to grow. 

 The irrigated farm should be the most 

 beautiful. 



The mountains are full of snow, the 

 rivers of water, the East of capital, and 

 the farmer ought to be full of hope. 



A patch of sweet corn makes one of the 

 best crops to grow to commence feeding 

 hogs intended for an early market. 



In market gardening don't try to grow 

 too much ; the result is always poor vege- 

 tables and half a crop. 



One cubic foot of water a second is the 

 same as 7J gallons every second, or 450 

 gallons in a minute. 



Don't try to farm more acres than you 

 have water for. Give irrigation a fair 

 chance. 



Before the end of another year the rain- 

 belt farmer will admit that he "ain't in 

 it." 



Alfalfa and small grain make a winning 

 team anywhere in the irrigation empire. 



Tobacco thrives well on irrigation. 



WHAT IRRIGATION DOES. 



Don't plant onions on ground where po- 

 tatoes were grown the previous year. 



Irrigation 



Reclaims arid wastes. 



Makes a prosperous country. 



Insures full crops every season. 



Is the oldest system of cultivation. 



Increases the productive capacity of the 

 spil. 



Destroys insects and produces perfect 

 fruit. 



Creates wealth from water, sunshine and 

 soil. 



Makes the farmer independent of the rain- 

 fall. 



Will redeem 100,000,000 acres of arid and 

 desert lands. 



Will yield support to 50,000,000 popula- 

 tion. 



