THE WATER SUPPLY IN DRY AREAS 455 



judiciously used will greatly tend to hasten growth in 

 the shelter belt. 



Some live stock, as, for instance, a cow or two, is 

 almost as indispensable to the dry farm as horses, and 

 water for these is, of course, as essential as for the in- 

 mates of the home. Live stock, and especially dairy 

 cows, cannot be kept at a profit when they have to be 

 driven long distances for water at any season of the 

 year. A reserve supply from some source is imperative. 

 It will be very evident from what has been said that it 

 is absolutely indispensable that the dry land farmer shall 

 secure a supply of reserve water for some, if not all, of 

 the uses named. The sooner that he can accomplish 

 this, the better will it be for the entire home and all 

 that pertains to it. The contrast between a home thus 

 equipped and one that is not is very great. 



Applying reserve water to the soil. Reserve water, 

 if used on the dry farm, must, as a rule, be applied with 

 much carefulness and judgment to the growing of any 

 kind of crop, because of the limited supply of the same. 

 The irrigator whose ditches carry more water than 

 he can use can afford to be prodigal in the use of water. 

 He may use it on all kinds of crops. It is very different 

 with the dry land farmer. The instances are few in 

 which he should attempt to apply such water on ordi- 

 nary field crops. The application will rather be confined 

 to the orchard and the garden, more especially if the 

 water is raised by pumping, which is usually much more 

 expensive than gravity water. 



When reserve water is used on the dry farm, it 

 should be so used, as a rule, to save crops, the growth of 

 which has become well advanced toward completion, and 

 yet without the aid of applied water the crop would not 

 reach full fruition. It is surprising how small an ap- 

 plication of such water may suffice to save a crop. 

 Those who grow crops by irrigation are slow to learn 



