248 



THE IERIGATION AGE. 



ably at a time when water is most needed. A heavy 

 storm 'may cause the washing out of a portion of the 

 lower bank in the lateral, especially on a hillside. Such 

 a break must be speedily repaired. Unceasing annoy- 

 ance and trouble in the operation of laterals is caused 

 by gophers, or prairie squirrels, which burrow holes on 

 hillside slopes and will burrow from the bed or side of 

 a canal or lateral down through the lower bank, coming 

 to the surface again, perhaps ten or more feet below 

 their starting point. When water is first turned into 

 a canal in the spring the water finds its way through 

 these holes. These leaks may be hardly perceptible at 

 first, but very soon attain such proportions as to en- 

 danger the lateral banks. Any method used to extermi- 

 nate these pests like gophers and prairie dogs is a 

 tedious one. A method frequently adopted is to drown 

 them out, but this is not always successful. Before the 

 water is turned into the canal, a ditch rider goes down 

 the line of ditch blocking all the lower holes or exits 

 from from the burrows that may be discovered. After 

 the lower holes are blocked the water is turned into the 

 canal filling the burrows and drowning the gophers. Of 

 course many holes may escape attention and careful 

 supervision of the canal and its banks must be exercised 

 whenever gophers are numerous. Many formulas for 

 poison have been compounded and successfully used for 

 exterminating prairie dogs and pocket gophers. The 

 Kansas Experiment Station has recently published a 

 valuable bulletin* on the subject of "Destroying Prairie 

 Dogs and Pocket Gophers." 



Laterals become blocked by the caving of the upper 

 banks or the trampling of loose stock or by the deposit 

 of refuse from the main canal, which may connect in one 



spot and form an imperfect dam. The laterals must be 

 kept clear of debris and an uninterrupted flow main- 

 tained. 



"Bulletin No. 116, January, 1903. 



(To be Continued.) 



NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS. 



Notice is hereby given that the Boards of Supervisors 

 of Monona and Harrison Counties, Iowa, will meet at 

 Onawa, Iowa, June 8th, 1905, for the purpose of opening 

 bids and letting the contract for the construction of a 

 drainage ditch through the above named counties a 

 distance of 23 miles. The excavation will be approxi- 

 mately 3,250,000 cubic yards. For specifications address 

 the County Auditor at Logan, Iowa or Onawa, Iowa. 

 Payment to be made by Drainage Bonds or Certificates 

 according to drainage laws of Iowa. 



Onawa, Iowa, May 13th, 1905. 



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National Irrigation Congress Convention August 21 to 24, 1905. 

 Lewis & Clark Centennial opens June 1, closes September 15, 1905. 



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