132 IRRIGATION FARMING. 



her of laterals necessary, and increases the head of water 

 which can be used to advantage. Fifty inches is the 

 head ordinarily used on Hesper Farm. With this ma- 

 chine one man with a team can grade from three to five 

 acres a day on an average. 



The laterals should be carried to the highest van- 

 tage ground possible and should be opened at convenient 

 points to allow the water to pass out upon the ground, 

 and in this way it covers the field in seeking its level. 

 The method of making laterals, especially as to the ne- 

 cessity of having them raised above the natural level of 

 the ground, is described in Chapter VI. 



Time to Irrigate. Generally all ditches in the 

 temperate zone should be ready to receive water by the 

 20th of May. The first water is turned upon the pas- 

 ture, meadow, or orchard, just as it may be required. 

 One year in the twenty that we have farmed in Colorado 

 we commenced on the 24th day of May to irrigate, to ger- 

 minate the grain that had been sown. We irrigated three 

 times that season. We commence generally from the 

 10th to the 25th of June to irrigate the small grain crop. 

 The matter of leaving water turned on is regulated 

 largely by the condition of the soil. While some land 

 will soak full of water in from ten to twenty minutes, 

 another kind of soil may require as long again to soak. 

 We turn the water on and let it stay until the ground is 

 thoroughly wet and soft as deep as it was plowed, eight 

 to ten inches, then the water is let out of the ditch a 

 little further on, and so on until the field is all irrigated. 



Every crop tells when it wants water. The grasses, 

 clovers and small grains have a language that cannot be 

 mistaken. Whenever their green color becomes very 

 dark and sickly turn on the water. When corn wants 

 water it tells the fact by its leaves being curled up in the 

 morning. Salsify needs but little if any water after it is 

 well under way. Carrots cannot bear an irrigation by 



