THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Ill 



SELLS BIG CANAL TO FARMERS. 



GERMAN METHOD OF TILE DRAINING. 



J. H. Brady Disposes of Water Rights in Willow and Sand Dr. A. Golf, the Well Known Engineer, Describes Recent Im- 

 Creeks, Idaho. portant Invention. 



J. H. Brady, of Pocatello, Idaho, has just con- 

 cluded one of the biggest transactions in canal property 

 ever consummated in Idaho by the sale to a syndicate 

 of farmers of all that portion of the Idaho Canal lying 

 above Idaho Falls, including all water rights in Willow 

 and Sand Creeks, for a consideration of $125,000. For 

 five years prior to last February this property had been 

 involved in litigation that retarded the settlement of the 

 lands under it, and finally last February it was sold by 

 order of the court to the highest bidder, Mr. Brady, as 

 president of the Idaho Canal & Improvement Company, 

 being the fortunate buyer at $100,000. 



The system under Mr. Brady's original purchase 

 was the largest in the entire arid West, comprising over 

 350 miles of canal and laterals. Under Mr. Brady's 

 energetic management, several thousand dollars were ex- 

 pended in improving 



the system last year 

 with the result that its 

 capacity was greatly 

 enlarged. This last 

 transaction only dis- 

 posed of about one- 

 fourth of the proper- 

 ty, the balance re- 

 maining in the hands 

 of Mr. Brady and his 

 associates. It is their 

 intention to extend 

 this part of tyie sys- 

 tem across the reser- 

 vation to Pocatello 

 and reclaim rich agri- 

 cultural lands which 

 are to be put on the 

 market by the Dubois 

 bill now before Con- 

 gress, and which will 

 doubtless be passed on 

 this session. 



It is stated at the 

 office of the company that this is a portion of the sys- 

 tem that Mr. Brady became interested in in 1892 and 

 to which he has been constantly adding ever since. At 

 the time of this sale his company was operating one 

 of Idaho's largest irrigating systems. This branch of 

 the canal that was sold covers a tributary which prop- 

 erly belongs to the Farmers'" Progress Canal Company 

 and the consummation of this sale will place that com- 

 pany in a much better position to supply its custom- 

 ers, as it carries with it twenty thousand inches of 

 water. 



This still leaves the Idaho Canal & Improvement 

 Company, Mr. Brady's property, with a very fine sys- 

 tem of canals and laterals of something over 250 miles, 

 with 80,000 inches of water, to supply its customers, 

 which is supplied through two large hydrants on the 

 main river. This is sufficient for the irrigation of all 

 the lands that can be brought under cultivation under 

 the canal between Idaho Falls and Pocatello. 



This is a very fine property and is worth in the 

 neighborhood of $600,000. 



Dr. A. Golf, of Bonn-Popplesdorf, Germany, 

 sends THE IRRIGATION AGE, under date of January 

 14, the following method of tile draining by Jul. 

 Kuehns. It will be of great interest in America, where 

 it is as yet unknown : 



"For all soils which suffer by too great height of 

 ground water it is necessary to take away the noxious 

 abundance of water, either by ditches or by tile drain- 

 age, in order to make agriculture profitable. 



"But there are plenty of lighter soils with heavy 

 subsoil little penetrable for water, which become so wet 

 by abundant winter humidity that as well the winter 

 seeds are injured as the tillage is much lengthened in 

 spring, while during summer they dry up easily. If 

 these soils would be drained, the noxious surplus of 

 winter humidity would be carried off indeed. During 



summer, however, the 



soils 



would dry up 

 still more than with- 

 out drainage, and the 

 larger part of the 

 water of the spring 

 and summer rains 

 would be led off by 

 the drain tiles and 

 would be lost for pro- 

 duction of plants. 



"To create favor- 

 able water conditions to 

 these soils largely 

 spread over the North- 

 German plains, Dr. 

 Jul. Kuehn, the noted 

 German agriculturist 

 of the university at 

 Halle, invented the 

 following method : He 

 employed the tile 

 drainage, but with the 



DISCHARGE FROM A 6-INCH PIPE BY THE KINGSFORD CENTRIFUGAL PUMP var i a f j on o f fitting 

 NO. 6 RUNNING AT 640 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE, AT MISILLAtPARK, N. M. 



out the main drains 

 in regular distances with valves accessible from the sur- 

 face, for the purpose of interrupting" the drainage to 

 one's liking by closing the valves. 



"Jul. Kuehn stated by experiments that a con- 

 stant raising of the surface of the groundwater to 

 60 cm. (27.6 inches) below the surface of the field 

 makes no trouble, and that, without any damage, the 

 groundwater can rise to 50 cm. (19.7 inches) below 

 the surface for a short time. If thus the groundwater 

 does not rise higher than 28 inches below the surface, 

 it is profitable to save the water as much as possible for 

 the use of the plants. The groundwater rising higher 

 than 28 inches for only a few days, there is notwith- 

 standing nothing to be feared, and only if the height 

 of the groundwater ascends above 28 inches below the 

 surface for a longer time (more than seven days), there 

 must be taken care that the injurious surplus water 

 runs off. 



"Such a regulation of the height of the water in 

 the soil is possible by means of a tile drainage fitted 

 out with valves. Beginning winter, all valves are 



