THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



45 



the past season to find alfalfa stems seven feet nine 

 inches in length, and to dig five roots of alfalfa that 

 totalled seven feet across the crowns when hung 

 side by side. Neither southern California nor Asia 

 herself, the original home of alfalfa, can beat this, 

 so have no fear in regard to the strength and hardi- 

 ness of alfalfa grown in this part of Alberta. 



Conclusion 



Before closing I wish to again emphasize the 

 following facts : 



1. That alfalfa growing is no experiment in 

 this part of Alberta. 



2. That alfalfa has a greater food value and 

 produces more of it at less cost than any other 

 forage that can be raised in this section. 



3. That there is no other crop that will im- 

 prove one's soil so much as the growing of alfalfa. 

 It has been known to double and even treble the 

 yield of cereals after having been grown for but 

 three years. 



4. That the lighter soils are best adapted to 

 alfalfa and that only well-drained soils should be 

 selected for this crop. 



5. That ground planted to alfalfa should be 

 carefully prepared for irrigation that money spent 

 on levelling pays larger returns on the investment 

 than the expenditure of any other like amount. 



6. That alfalfa seeds are so small that the 

 manufacture of a finely pulverized seed bed is abso- 

 lutely imperative if good results are to be secured. 



7. That alfalfa ground must be inoculated in 



this section ; that soil transfer is probably the prefer- 

 able method; and that great pains must be used in 

 securing fresh soil, in spreading it evenly, and in 

 harrowing it in immediately if good results are to be 

 secured. 



8. That from 12 to 15 pounds of seed per acre 

 planted not over \ l / 2 inches in depth is proper. 



9. That planting without a nurse crop will 

 give better success nine times out of ten and be 

 more profitable than planting with a nurse crop. 



10. That alfalfa requires more water than 

 grain, and that the soil should have a uniform 

 moisture content from early spring until late fall. 



11. That alfalfa should be clipped the first year 

 about the time it reaches 6 to 10 inches in height. 



12. That the crops should be cut whenever the 

 basal shoots or the beginning of the next crop's 

 growth starts, which is when approximately one- 

 tenth of the crop is in bloom. 



13. That alfalfa should be disced every spring 

 after the second year, particularly if weeds and grass 

 have begun to grow with the crop. This not only 

 kills the weeds and grass, but actually causes the 

 alfalfa to become thicker on the ground. 



14. That alfalfa has a broader use, and is more 

 profitable and more certain than any other crop that 

 can be raised in this district, and that when alfalfa 

 is once planted on a farm and given a fair trial not 

 only as a horse feed, a cattle feed and a pig pasture, 

 but as a soil rejuvenator, that this farmer will never 

 again be willing to farm without an alfalfa field on 

 any irrigation project in Sunny Southern Alberta. 



ARTESIAN WATER FOR IRRIGATION IN LITTLE 

 BITTERROOT VALLEY, MONT. 



Little Bitterroot Valley, Mont., which lies with- 

 in the former Flathead Indian Reservation, and in- 

 cludes an undeveloped unit of the Flathead project 

 of the United States Reclamation Service, has re- 

 cently attracted attention on account of the artesian 

 water that has been discovered, in it, some of which 

 is of notably high temperature. 



The valley was opened to white settlers in 



1910 and now has a considerable population. In 



1911 a well drilled on the farm of Dr. A. H. Brown 

 struck flowing water, and flows were afterward 

 obtained at several other places. By August 1, 

 1915, about 40 wells had been drilled, of which 17 

 were flowing. The United States Geological Sur- 

 vey, Department of the Interior, has investigated 

 the artesian water supply in order to determine 

 to what extent it can be used for irrigation in con- 

 nection with the surface waters. Mr. O. E. Meinzer, 

 a geologist of the Survey, made a thorough study of 

 the valley, gathering well data, measuring the dis- 

 charge of the flowing wells, and collecting samples 

 of the well water. Mr. Meinzer's report of this in- 

 vestigation, which has just been published, includes 

 the following significant statements: 



Artesian supplies can be obtained on the bot- 

 tom lands in considerable quantities at low cost, 

 but on the higher lands, in only small quantities 



and at very high cost for irrigation. The artesian 

 supply is securely stored underground, where it can 

 be preserved from year to year and can be drawn 

 upon whenever desired. In this respect it has an 

 important advantage over surface supplies, which 

 can not be stored indefinitely. Instead of being 

 used lavishly all the time, it ought to be regarded 

 as the ultimate reserve, to be drawn upon only 

 when there is a shortage in the surface water sup- 

 ply. Thus in years of considerable rainfall or when 

 the supply of surface water is ample the flowing 

 wells should be kept closed and allowed to re- 

 cuperate, and in exceptionally dry years, when the 

 supplies of surface water are inadequate, the ar- 

 tesian water may be heavily drawn upon. The 

 report calls attention to the necessity of casing 

 wells properly with heavy pipe and of securely plug- 

 ging abandoned wells, for the leakage from a few 

 defective or abandoned wells at low levels may 

 practically ruin a small artesian basin, such as the 

 one in the Little Bitterroot Valley. The report con- 

 cludes with specific recommendations as to the 

 developments that should be made and gives data 

 on the cost of such developments. 



Copies of this report, which is issued as Water- 

 Supply Paper 400-B, can be obtained by applying 

 to the Director, United States Geological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C. 



