350 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



off part of the water, making distribution 

 easier and enabling the irrigator to han- 

 dle the volume without washing away the 

 surface soil. The modes of distributing 

 from laterals are through furrows, flood- 

 ing, seepage or pecolating ditches, de- 

 pending upon the nature of soil, volume of 

 water and kind of crops under cultivation. 

 One method adopted by many western 

 farmers includes the different systems of 

 the irrigation. The furrows are used in 

 irrigating the general crops, such as corn, 

 potatoes, vegetables and cereals, water 

 being taken from the laterals and equally 

 distributed in the furrows. A waste ditch 

 collects the surplus passing through the 

 furrows, and delivers it to an alfalfa field 

 or orchard where it scatters over the sur- 

 face in wild flooding. If a low bottom or 

 meadow is attatched to the farm, as is 

 generally the case in the western river 

 sections, the water, after irrigating the 

 cultivated area and orchards by furrows 

 and flooding, is conducted into seepage 

 ditches from which it percolates through 

 the native sod and produces the wild hay 

 meadows. 



The long-handled shovel is undoubtedly 

 the best tool for making dams, cutting 

 ditches and general distributory purposes, 

 but some irrigators prefer a strong, broad 

 bladed hoe. Water may be diverted from 

 mains to laterals and from laterals to fur- 

 rows by throwing in a few boulders, or 

 making dams of sod. Sometimes a cloth 

 dam serres the purpose admirably and 

 cheaply. This consists of a piece of duck- 

 ing sewed or tacked to a short stick or 

 pole which is dropped across the ditch, and 

 a shovelful of earth thrown on the loose 

 end of the cloth forms the dam by holding 

 it in place. Small square boxes sunk in 



the head of the furrows prevent washing 

 the plowed land and keep the water from 

 cutting and all running into one furrow. 

 A handy dam may be made of a board cut 

 in the shape of the letter D with sharp 

 edges on the curved line, to allow of sink- 

 ing the board in the moist earth at the 

 bottom of the ditch. This is very useful 

 where the ditches are of similar dimen- 

 sions, and saves much digging of the banks 

 for building dams. It may ba carried 

 about and used at any point when neces- 

 sary. Wooden headgates are better than 

 earthen dams for opening and closing the 

 mains and dividing the flow of a canal. 

 JOEL SHOMAKER. 



FURTHER WATER DEVELOPMENTS. 



No corporation in Southern California 

 has shown more activity in water develop- 

 ments this dry season than the Covina 

 Irrigating Co. 



With the completion of the Lordsburg 

 plant, and the closing of the contract with 

 the San Gabriel Power Co. for a tenth of 

 the San Gabriel River, they at once turn 

 their attention to the San Jose tract, where 

 extensive recent developments have been 

 made. Having secured an option on a 

 portio.i of this tract, southwest of the Dea- 

 con well, they are now engaged in sinking 

 a test well thereon, which it is hoped, will 

 be completed with the pump installed by 

 September 10. 



Superintendent Elliott informs us that 

 he will work a force of 40 men. next week, 

 laying the 1500 feet of pipe and flume to 

 connect the well with the main ditch of 

 the company. Unless some unlocked for 

 difficulties should arise, water from this 

 source will be turned into the main ditch 

 by September 10. Covina (Cal.) Argus. 



