THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



379 



ways of preparing land for irrigation, surface evapora- 

 tion from soil and like difficulties encountered by farm- 

 > T- in putting water on their land. 



It was the pronounced opinion of these experts 

 that there is a prevalent use of altogether too much 

 water in irrigation. This overuse is carried to such 

 an extent that water logging ensues. Water logging 

 may result from the application of too much water or 

 from the necessity of drainage, or from both causes. 

 In some cases as much of thirteen acre feet of water 

 are applied to the land. An acre foot is one solid cubic 

 foot of water applied to a square foot of land surface. 

 While there is a difference in the amount of water re- 

 quired by different lands, yet that difference is not 

 nearly as large as might be supposed by those unac- 

 quainted with scientific irrigation. On the average only 

 four acre feet are needed for a season's irrigation. 



In some of the investigations made by these irri- 

 gation and drainage experts 80 per cent loss has been 

 found from seepage of water in the canals and ditches. 

 As a rule only 30 per cent or 40 per cent of the water 

 in irrigation is saved for trie growth of the farm 

 products. 



Disastrous results may follow from the use of too 

 much water, especially when the water table terminates 

 within a few feet of the surface. In such cases, when 

 the water put on the surface meets the natural body 

 of water under the surface, water logging follows. 

 Then as the underground water rises to the surface 

 it brings with it considerable alkali and the land be- 

 comes less and less valuable. There is a district in 

 the San Joaquin Valley of California where this over- 

 use of surface water has ruined a considerable acreage 

 of land. Nothing but salt marsh hay will now grow 

 on it. 



It is not only in connection with the duty on 

 water, that is, the proper amount of water needed on 

 any given section of land, that the irrigation and drain- 

 age engineers are employed. Naturally they are led 

 into the study of the soils, especially as to the conserva- 

 tism of moisture in the soil. It is fast becoming as 

 important a subject in farming to know how to save 

 the rainfall and snowfall of the winter months as to 

 provide means for applying water from artificial ditches 

 during the summer months. Water may be stored in 

 the ground as well as in reservoirs. This subject of dry 

 farming is assuming larger proportions every year. 



Then there is the matter of winter irrigation. It 

 is found that irrigation works which are sufficient to 

 supply a quantity of water for a given amount of land 

 during the summer months may also be used for sup- 

 plying water on additional sections of land during the 

 winter months. Of course, winter irrigation requires 

 that the soil shall be prepared to receive and store the 

 water for summer use. It is found that water for 

 irrigation may be obtained at a cost of from $2 to $5 

 per acre. This winter irrigation is carried on mostly 

 during the months of February, March and April. On 

 Butter Creek, in northeastern Oregon, eighteen farmers 

 on the stream each produce $9,000 worth of crops by 

 means of winter irrigation. Each farmer has about 

 220 acres, and alfalfa is the chief crop grown. 



While Eastern people have had rather dim ideas 

 regarding the resources of the arid and semiarid sec- 

 tions of the United States and the enormous increase in 

 production which may result from irrigating these 

 lands, the Western people are largely blind to the prog- 

 ress of irrigation in the Eastern part of the country, 



where the annual rainfall has been supposed to fur- 

 nish all moisture needed for growing crops. At pres- 

 ent $12,000,000 worth of rice is being produced in 

 Louisiana largely under irrigation. Among others, the 

 New Jersey Experiment Station is making a thorough 

 investigation of the subject of irrigation. 



In many parts of the East it has been found of 

 great advantage to have water to apply to the land 

 when it is needed and in quantity that is needed. As 

 President James J. Hill, of the Great Northern Railway, 

 said in his letter to the irrigation congress at Portland : 

 "Certainty, abundance and variety are to be found 

 where irrigation prevails." 



An Estimate of the Cost of Applying Water to Crops. 

 The cost of applying water to crops varies greatly 

 according to the skill of the irrigator, the contour of the 

 fields, and the available head of water. A skilled irri- 

 gator commands higher wages than a man of less ex- 

 perience. The land on one farm may have a sloping 

 surface well adapted for the application of water, and on 

 another a rolling, broken surface over which much time 

 and labor must be spent in properly applying the water 

 to the crops. One farm may be supplied with a full 

 head of water sufficient to enable the irrigator to spread 

 water over his fields between laterals quickly and thor- 

 oughly, while another farm may have so poor a head 

 of water that a greater amount of labor and more time 

 must be spent in irrigating the same area. The method 

 used in irrigating different crops must also be taken into 

 consideration. It takes much more time for one man to 

 irrigate an acre of potatoes by the furrow system than 

 an acre of wild or native hay by tho flooding system. 

 In the first instance the potatoes may be irrigated by 

 running water through every other furrow, which is 

 often done in the first watering of potatoes. On the 

 other hand, to irrigate an acre of wild or native hay 

 requires only the few moments necessary to turn enough 

 water from a lateral to cover the entire acre. It is 

 therefore difficult to state even approximately the cost 

 of applying water to crops. 



From information on the subject derived from 

 farmers in southern and middle Wyoming it is inferred 

 that one man can irrigate from five to ten acres of grain 

 or alfalfa in a day. This estimate is qualified by the 

 preceding remarks. An ordinary farm hand is paid $1 

 per day with board. Considering this as equivalent to 

 $1.50 a day, the cost per acre of applying water to crops 

 is from fifteen to thirtv cents an acre. 



AGENTS WANTED 



Canadian Pacific Railway 

 Irrigated Lands 



NOW READY FOR SALE. This is the greatest irrigation 

 project in America. Prices and terms reasonable. 



For particulars apply or write 



Canadian Pacific Irrigation Colonization Co., Ltd. 



J. M. PATTERSON, Gen. Agt.. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 



