THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



137 



6.1% of moisture is equal 

 to 1 ir>ch of rainfall. 



12.2% of moisture is 

 equal to 2 inches of rainfall. 



18.3% of moisture is 

 equal to 3 inches of rainfall. 



The percentages were se- 

 cured on oven-dried soil 

 samples. The absolute air- 

 dry soil does not fall below 

 3 per cent moisture. 



\\ith a moderate head of 

 water and a good distance 

 between laterals it is not 

 necessary to allow the water 

 to run a great length of time 

 in order to get a good wet- 

 ting near the tail end of the 

 run. 



The best saturation was 

 obtained where the least 

 amount of water would 

 cover the soil and spread 

 well between the laterals, 

 and the least benefit was de- 

 rived where a large head 

 was used that flowed very 

 rapidly. Following up some 

 of these observations upon 

 other fields, we have come 

 across a number of instances 

 where better beets were 

 grown in fields near the 

 lower end of the rows ; po- 

 tatoes have yielded better; 

 in one case corn was de- 

 cidedly better at the end of 

 the runs. Upon inquiry and 

 investigation it was found 

 that on the long runs it was 

 necessary to turn large 

 heads into each row ; as the 



water diminished near the end, the saturation into 

 the soil was greater and better results were secured. 

 Rowed crops should be planted in such a man- 

 ner that the water will not wash in the rows and 

 that it will almost exhaust itself in about a 250 to 

 300-foot run. To run water down a rowed crop so 

 as to cause undue washing is a loss of good soil and 

 a waste of irrigation water. It is impossible to se- 

 cure good irrigation where water flows too fast. 



The depth of saturation must also be consid- 

 ered. With the exception of perhaps alfalfa we are 

 safe in saying that the average of our crops do not 

 feed deeper than five feet; this being true, why 

 should irrigation water be wasted in trying to se- 

 cure saturation to a greater depth? Besides the 

 waste resulting through seepage, run off waste 

 should be guarded against. On a large portion of 

 farms, time dams could be used to a great advan- 

 tage for night irrigation. It is true that one can- 

 not expect perfect irrigation under all conditions 

 with such devices, but with a little time and trouble 

 the uncovered place may be gone over the follow- 

 in- day. 



A night set will accomplish its work within a 

 few hours; all water running after that time is waste. 



A second cutting of Sudan grass, raised in 1914 by 

 E. J. Abell, of Amarillo, Texas, who is holding the grass. 



The second crop was ready 

 the first crop was harvested. 

 Trail. 



to cut thirty-five days after 

 Courtesy of The South West 



No. 



1 



2 

 8 



Acres 

 Irrig. 



Water 



Used. 



2. OB 



3.25 



4.1 



Tons 



Beets. 



330 



Another saving of water 

 is accomplished by enriching 

 the soil. As the soil fertil- 

 ity is increased, so is the 

 water requirement for the 

 plant decreased up to a cer- 

 tain percentage. 



Last and above all, co- 

 operation is required be- 

 tween irrigators. Neighbors 

 must respect each other's 

 rights. Irrigators on the 

 higher ground can, in many 

 instances, do much towards 

 partially relieving some of 

 the seeped land below. As 

 has been observed, it is even 

 possible for an irrigator to 

 protect his own land to a 

 large degree. 



The men in charge of 

 the various government ex- 

 perimental farms have been 

 giving much attention in 

 recent years to the seepage 

 problem as well as to the 

 actual values of water. 



In going over a large 

 number of records of crop 

 yields as collected by the 

 Reclamation Service on the 

 North Platte Project, it is 

 found that the men using 

 the largest amount of water 

 do not always grow the 

 largest crop, soil condition 

 taken into consideration. To 

 give a concrete example, two 

 men under very similar con- 

 ditions, Nos. 1 and 2 (note 

 the crops grown and the 

 yields obtained) : 



Tons Bu. Bu. Pasture 



Potatoes. Corn. Acre, 



750 . . 12 



... .. 2 



... 35 . . 



Hay. 

 120 

 175 

 195 



Value 

 of Crop. 

 $2,595 

 700 



1.023 



*A very sandy farm, whereas 1 and 2 are good soil. No. 3 is 

 land that many would pass by as farming land as compared with No. 

 2, but by using a little more water it produced good crops. 



Tons 



Acres Water Tons Sugar Bu. Bu. 



No. Irrigated. Used. Hay. Beets. Corn. 

 4 80 2.2 140 



80 1.7 105 60 



. 



Oats. 



800 



No. 4 and No. 5 with 80 acres each, on which 

 applied, offers another striking example where a 

 water did not add to the farm income. 



Value 



of Crops. 



$ 660 



1,300 1,976 



water was actually 

 larger amount of 



38 

 5.1 



Another case of what may be almost criminal 

 abuse of water is a property holder renting adjoin- 

 ing land ; crop and water applied follow 



Rented. 



Total acres 74 



Irrigated acres 



Water r..d* 



Alfalfa- 

 Acres 



Tons 



Oats- 

 Acres 



Total bushels 



Wheat 



Acres 



Total bushels 



Potatoes 



Acres 



Bushels 



Owned. 

 57 

 55 

 2.6 



30 

 60 



5 

 80 



2 

 10 



6 

 60P 



*On the home place there was not the waste of water there was 

 the rented farm and the crops were considerably better. 



