24 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



PREPARING LAND FOR IRRIGATION AND 

 METHODS OF APPLYING WATER. 



METHODS IN USE IN NEBRASKA. 



Almost the total expense of preparing land for ir- 

 rigation in Nebraska is due to the construction of the 

 field laterals and furrows. In those cases, including per- 

 haps the majority, where the making of the furrow 

 serves also as a cultivation the cost of making them 

 should not be charged wholly against the preparation 

 of the ground for irrigation. 



The distance apart of the laterals in the field de- 

 pends chiefly upon which of the two methods of irriga- 

 tion in use in the State is to be employed. It depends 

 also to some extent upon the character of the soil in 

 respect to its capacity for the rapid absorption of water, 

 and upon the lay of the land. For. flooding, the laterals 

 are placed from 100 to 300 feet apart. The greater 

 distance obtains on wild hay land, and the lesser in the 

 irrigation of alfalfa and sma-11 grain growing on soils 

 which take the water readily. An average distance apart 

 of laterals in cultivated fields which are to be irrigated 

 by flooding is 125 to 150 feet. Feeder laterals for fur- 

 row irrigation are placed at greater intervals, ranging 

 ordinarily from 300 to 1,200 feet, according to the lay 

 of the ground and the carrying capacity of the furrows. 

 There is a general tendency to build laterals closer to- 

 gether, as it is found that the water is more easily and 

 effectively handled in this way. 



The field laterals are very generally made about one 

 foot wide on the bottom, one foot deep, and from four 

 to six feet wide on top. The grade of course varies to 

 some degree with the lay of the land, but a fall of five 

 feet to the mile is common, and is quite generally recog- 

 nized as a minimum below which it is not desirable 

 to go. 



The common stirring plow, the lister, the wooden 

 V, and the reversible blade machine are all used for the 

 construction of laterals and approved by experienced 

 irrigators. The blade machine is considered better than 

 the V in clay or rocky ground. The reversible machine 

 requires about twice the force of men and horses to work 

 it that the V does, but when used systematically the 

 work can probably be done at somewhat less cost than 

 with the V. A superintendent of large experience esti- 

 mates that two men and two teams with a V can com- 

 plete from one to three miles of field laterals per day, 

 depending on the condition of the ground. For irriga- 

 tion by flooding this would be sufficient for the irriga- 

 tion of from twenty to sixty acres. Allowing $6 a day 

 for men and teams, the cost per acre would be from 

 ten to thirty cents. 



For turning the water out of the field laterals all 

 of the better known devices are in use canvas dams, 

 sheet-iron dams, and dirt checks. The sheet-iron dam 

 is said to be rspecially satisfactory in fields where dig- 

 ging as undesirable, as in fields of alfalfa or of small 

 grain, since it can be set and removed without the use of 

 the shovel. In flooding, the laterals are dammed and 

 opened at intervals ordinarily coming within the range 

 of from fifty to 100 feet. 



For furrow irrigation of general field crops the 

 furrows are usually made with a plow or lister when 

 large furrows are required. A disk cultivator makes a 

 good furrow for watering corn and potatoes. When the 

 earth must not be thrown against the plant, as in the 

 case of beets or vines, a smaller appliance, known as 



an irrigation shovel, is attached to the cultivator and 

 makes a neat furrow. 



IRRIGATION IN WESTERN KANSAS. 



In early years a Mr. Allman supplied the garrison 

 at Fort Wallace, Kas., with provisions. This led to an 

 attempt to grow fruit and vegetables, for which there 

 was a great demand. At the outset the necessity for an 

 artificial watering of crops during the dry season was 

 apparent. In 1877 a ditch system was constructed to 

 supply the land, and it has been in continual use since 

 that time. The main supply ditch takes its water from 

 the Smoky Hill River, which flows through the northern 

 part of the ranch. 



The most commendable feature about the distribut- 

 ing system is the manner in which the laterals serve the 

 land lying immediately below them and drain that 

 above. In this the natural slope of the land favors the 

 irrigator. An ordinary plow with a depth of cut of about 

 ten inches and a width of about sixteen inches was used 

 in the construction of the laterals. This was run twice 



Box for Admitting Water to Ditch from Stream with slow Current. 

 [Illustration taken from the Primer of Irrigation.] 



over the line of the ditch so as to make a dead furrow. 

 Where the line of the laterals could not be easily 

 changed to avoid a low place or hollow, the surface soil 

 for several feet on either side of the lateral was scraped 

 with a board scraper and a fill made. At first consider- 

 able trouble was experienced with these fills and close 

 attention was required to prevent breaks. Breaks that 

 occurred were found to be most easily mended by the use 

 of straw or manure with the earth. 



Crops are grown on those fields suited both to the 

 requirements of the plant and the economical distribu- 

 tion of water. Barley, rye, oats, and other small, grains 

 are grown on the higher ground. They mature early in 

 the season and need to be irrigated only at a time when 

 water is plentiful. Some of the water used on the crops 

 on the higher levels sinks into the ground and reaching 

 the lower levels helps to keep them moist. Alfalfa is 

 grown on the next lower levels, while the lowest patches 

 are devoted to fruits and vegetables. 



All grains and grasses are irrigated by flooding, 

 while the orchard and garden are furrow irrigated. Root 



