THE IKRIGATION AGE. 



15 



for completion August 1, 1913. The work will be 

 very heavy and will include one tunnel 255 feet long. 

 There will be no bridges, but numerous concrete 

 arches. The new line will be laid with 90-lb. steel rails, 

 rolled at the plant of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Com- 

 pany, Pueblo, Colo. The track will be ballasted with 

 Jordan Narrows gravel. 



I. H. C. DEMONSTRATION FARMS IN THE 

 NORTHWEST. 



Two demonstration farms have been established 

 in the Northwest by the I. H. C. Service Bureau, 

 one near Aberdeen, S. Dak., and one near Grand 

 Forks, N. Dak., and J. G. Haney, an expert agron- 

 omist, formerly connected with the Kansas Experi- 

 ment Station at Fort Hays, Kan., has been placed in 

 charge of these farms. 



The I. H. C. farm near Aberdeen is located two 

 and one-half miles from the city, and lies between 

 two main travel roads. It is also on the double 

 track of the C. M. & St. P., and embraces a half 

 section or 320 acres. It is school land and has never 

 been plowed. The land will be broken next spring 

 and put into flax, a little corn, and an effort will be 

 made to start alfalfa on sod. A variety of corn 

 adapted to South Dakota will be selected with a 

 view of producing seed corn, as well as small grains 

 for general distribution. Modern buildings will be 

 erected on this place a grove and orchard will be 

 started. Particular attention will be given to the 

 proper cultivation, looking toward the conservation 

 of moisture, which is one of the serious problems 

 confronting the South Dakota farmer. The Com- 

 mercial Club of Aberdeen, The Better Farming As- 

 sociation, and local papers evince a great deal of 

 interest in the farm and have given the plan very 

 hearty support. The use of farm tractors will be 

 demonstrated on this farm. Accounts will be kept 

 of all expenditures, including the cost of the labor 

 in crop production. 



At Grand Forks. N. Dak., a half section was 

 leased. The land lies about a mile from the city 

 limits, directly across from the University of North 

 Dakota and on the Great Northern Railroad. The 

 farm embraces 308 acres of tillable land. The im- 

 provements are only mediocre. This farm is prac- 

 tically all under cultivation. There are 60 acres in 

 winter rye, and 45 in clover and timothy ; a large 

 acreage of corn will be planted next year, selecting 

 the three principal varieties which are adapted to 

 North Dakota Northwest Dent, Minnesota 13 and 

 Minnesota 23. Only seed that has matured in that 

 locality will be planted, and it is hoped to obtain a 

 large quantity of seed corn for general distribution. 

 There will be a small field of alfalfa and some clover 

 will be grown. 



The weed problem which confronts the farmer 

 of the Red River Valley can be successfully met if 

 a system of crop rotation is followed. This rota- 

 tion should include a cultivated crop such as corn. 

 It has been the experience of many farmers that to 

 grow corn and to follow same with wheat they 

 have increased the yield ten bushels per acre the 

 second year. Other crops will be grown, such as 

 barley, oats and wheat. The slogan in the Red 



River valley will be corn, alfalfa and clover. I. H. C. 

 tractors will be used on this farm, as well as on the 

 South Dakota farm, and both farms will be main 

 tained on a self-sustaining basis. Careful accounts 

 will be kept in both instances. 



The soil is typical of the Red River valley. It 

 is fairly well drained and has been farmed about the 

 same as the average farm in that valley. 



DRAINAGE. 



The drainage of lands in the state of Colorado 

 is of as great importance as the subject of irriga- 

 tion itself. We apply water to the soil and call it 

 irrigating; we spread it over the ground and see it 

 sink from sight; we see crops grow and forget all 

 about the excess water we apply. This water, how- 

 ever, is not lost and in later years will return to 

 bless us or curse us, as the case may be, and it 

 usually comes in the form of a curse rather than a 

 blessing. 



What is there that detracts more from the ap- 

 pearance of a prosperous farming community, as 

 we drive along the country roads and look at the 

 magnificent crops, than to see here and there large 

 tracts of barren waste covered with white alkali so 

 common in this state, producing absolutely nothing 

 and all on account of a high water table? Perhaps 

 this ground used to be as productive as any in the 

 community but in later years farmers have found it 

 impossible to raise anything upon it. They have 

 finally abandoned it, and there it lies worthless to 

 the farmer and worthless to the community at large. 



Why this state of affairs? It is due, as stated 

 before, to the high water table or, in other words, 

 to the fact that the underground water has risen 

 until it is within a few feet of the surface. Capillary 

 action is then set up and excessive quantities of 

 water work from the water table to the surface of 

 the ground and there evaporate, leaving behind the 

 elements that they carry in solution. These salts 

 form the alkali which we see on the surface of the 

 ground. 



Can this land be reclaimed and can it ever be 

 made first-class farming land? The answer to this 

 question is "yes." It may be reclaimed in a number 

 of 'ways, but the only permanent way is to thor- 

 oughly drain the tract. The laying out and installa- 

 tion of a drain is not the simplest problem in the 

 world and is too often attempted by men who know 

 nothing about it. My advice to the farmer is to 

 hire some engineer who is capable of making the 

 necessary survey and who knows how to lay out 

 a drain system. Have him not only set the neces- 

 sary grade stakes, but supervise the laying of the 

 drain. Many drains have failed because of im- 

 proper installation. 



There are a number of different drain tile on 

 the market, and to say that one is good and another 

 is worthless would be not only unfair, but untrue. 

 All of the burned clay tiles if properly made will 

 last fairly well and make a suitable pipe for this 

 kind of work. Wooden boxes also have a long life, 

 but I believe it is a mistake to place in the trench 

 open bottomed wooden boxes, unless the fall is am- 

 ple to give a good velocity to the water. They clog 



