290 



MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



and level at the rate of 1 acre in two to two and one-half days. If 

 the land be quite smooth one man can do this work at the rate of 1 

 acre a day. This would include the construction of laterals. In 

 Oregon the cost of checking has been found to vary from $15 to 

 $30 per acre for ordinary land. (Ex. S. Circ. 67.) 



Advantages. (1) One irrigator can attend to a large volume 

 of water, and can irrigate from 7 to 15 acres in ten hours, making 

 the cost of applying the water less than by any other method; (2) 

 certain soils can not be successfully irrigated by any other method ; 

 (3) it is well adapted to forage crops on flat slopes; (4) the cost of 

 preparing the land for irrigation is small after the first year; (5) 

 the amount applied can be more readily gauged. 



Disadvantages. (1) Much of the surface soil is removed to 

 form the levees; (2) the yield is decreased where the top soil has 

 been removed, except in deep alluvial soil; (3) mowers, reapers, 

 and other implements are frequently damaged by high levees; (4) 

 it is not well adapted to rotation of crops; 5) the method must be 

 limited to particular crops and to flat slopes; (6) drainage for sur- 

 plus water must be provided; (7) some soils bake after being 

 flooded. (Ex. S. Bui. 145.) 



Summary of Cost of Irrigating for a Period of Five Years. 



(Ex. S. Cir. 67.) 



Basin Method. In all essential features the basin method does 

 not differ from that just described. The fact that basins are used 

 in the irrigation of orchards and checks in the irrigation of alfalfa, 



