138 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Such 'use of water as in the above stated case 

 should be condemned by all good farmers. Besides 

 doing much toward increasing seepage areas, 

 methods of this nature detract from the value of all 

 surrounding land. 



In tabulating many of the records, some very 

 interesting facts are brought out. 



FIRST. Success at farming under irrigation is 

 not dependent upon the amount of water received, 

 but upon farm management. 



SECOND. That where there is a diversification 

 of crops, less water was used. 



THIRD. The total income of the farm was 

 greater wherever diversified crops were grown and 

 even a semblance of a rotation followed. 



The continual and insistent asking and urging 

 by ditch organizations of the irrigators to use less 

 water is usually looked upon and mistaken as a 

 selfish motive, but if all irrigators would make an 

 individual study of the waste land caused by poor, 

 haphazard and careless methods of irrigation, and 

 then observe the methods employed by the more 

 successful farmers, who are quite numeio'us, then 

 there would be developed a more economic use of 

 irrigation water. 



$25 A YEAR TO INSURE A BERRY CROP 



MICHIGAN growers continue to find irrigation 

 a valuable asset. H. F. Klein, of Detroit, 

 writes the following concerning an irrigation ex- 

 periment on the F. A. Stuart farm, near Marshall, 

 Mich.: 



"The irrigation was carried on on a berry patch 

 of five acres, located three miles from Marshall. 

 There were two varieties of blackberries, half being of 

 early and half of late type. The soil was a light 

 gravelly to sandy loam towards the west, changing 

 gradually to loam at last, all of it capable of produc- 

 ing vigorous plants under proper conditions. The 

 land was fairly level, a small ridge running to level 

 ground. The north and south slope was regular 

 and gentle. 



"The well was driven at about the center of the 

 patch and connected up with pump and engine into 

 a compact water supply unit. The water had to 

 be lifted fifteen feet. 



"Irrigation was given during July and August 

 whenever the soil became very dry. As a rule, it 

 was used every three days during the ripening 

 period, the pickers alternating with the irrigation. 

 After the last irrigation the patch was thoroughly 

 cultivated to break up the ctkes which formed in 

 several places where clay was present. 



"As you know, we had an extremely dry season 

 until the middle of August, with few drenching 

 rains occurring in the months of June and July. As 

 the early varieties ripened up into good sized and 

 good quality berries, it was not necessary to irrigate 

 them more than once, but the late varieties suffered 

 from the continued drought and were ripening very 

 slowly and irregularly. Although the water was 

 gotten onto the ground rather late, the actual re- 

 sults were conclusive proof of the value of irriga- 

 tion in this case particularly. 



"It could be seen to a bush just where the water 

 was supplied in the irrigated area every bush was 

 vigorous, the new shoots were growing strongly 

 and the berries were large and tasty, while the un- 

 watered area of four rows in width showed plainly 

 the lack of moisture, the berries being small, hard 

 and bitter. 



"The irrigation was not expected to 'make a 

 marvelous increase in yield, but it was expected to 

 increase the size of the berries and their appearance, 

 and since these results were obtained, the outlay 



was justified. The market demanded high quality 

 fruit, and all sold under the firm's trademark was 

 able to meet the demand. 



"The first cost and the running expenses of this 

 simple system are surprisingly low. The pumping 

 outfit cost $150, the well cost $15, installation of 

 outfit cost $10, and pipe and hose brought the total 

 for the five-acre plant up to $190. In figuring the 

 yearly cost, depreciation is charged at 12 per cent, 

 interest at six per cent, fuel at $3.00 and labor at 

 $10, which makes the cost of irrigation for one sea- 

 son about $50. 



"The increase in yield, as determined by using 

 the four check rows which were not irrigated, was 

 twenty crates, valued at $35. Ten dollars was sub- 

 tracted from this to cover cost of handling and mar- 

 keting the increase in yield. 



"It cost then twenty-five dollars to insure the 

 crop against failure due to lack of rain, to secure a 

 good growth of new shoots, ?nd to increase the size 

 and improve the appearance of the berries sold 

 under the grower's trade mark. 



"In summing up the results of this experiment 

 in irrigation, three things stand out clearly : 



"1. Irrigation is most important as a means 

 of crop insurance. 



"2. While increase in yield should pay the 

 season's bills, the profit comes from the increase in 

 quality and indicated by large size and good appear- 

 ance. 



"3. Simplicity of the outfit must be carefully 

 considered in order to cut down the overhead ex- 

 penses." 



A CHAMPION IRRIGATOR 



In Harrison County, Missouri, is an octo- 

 genarian who challenges Luther Burbank to dupli- 

 cate the marvels of his little area of two irrigated 

 acres. Ike Neff, he is called by his neighbors, and 

 he offers as samples of his agricultural skill the fol- 

 lowing: One seedling strawberry plant that pro- 

 duced 2,391 plants in one year, from which he 

 gathered 100 gallons of fruit ; one Concord grape 

 vine that bore 500 pounds of grapes in one year ; 

 another vine, thirty years old, that bore 532 pounds 

 of grapes; a hill of watermelons that produced 800 

 pounds ; a tomato plant that produced 100 pounds, 

 and a sweet potato plant that produced 185 pounds 



