CHAPTER XIII. 83 



juite a number of gullies have been made in the mesa sides by storm 

 waters that before the clearing did no damage. Constant care is re- 

 quired to prevent serious results. Barn yard manure dressing, freely 

 used, Increases the absorbative water power of the land and diminishes 

 the off-flow. In this, it approximates in its effects to the old humus. 

 Two systems have been tried on the ranch to prevent the rain off- 

 flow. The first of these was the basin system. Furrows were run on a 

 water-grade and turned into each basin reached. In this way, no fur- 

 row ran over twenty-flve feet before coming to a basin reservoir. The 

 land, however, took less and less water, as the humus was burned out. 

 At last, in a diluvial rain, delivering three and one-half inches in a 

 short period, every basin was filled to the brim. Several broke, break- 

 ing others and doing some damage. It became apparent that there 

 might be a rainfall that would smasn the whole ranch. 



There were three other objections to this system: 



Int. — That the basins would not be broken up. This interfered with 

 team cultivation. 



2nd. — They were costly on a side hill. 



3rd. — Silt and clay were deposited in the basins. This reduced the 

 absorbative power of the land and made the basins almost water tight, 

 [t also prevented proper soil ventilation. This soured the soil and pro- 

 duced sickness in the trees. 



The present method is a continuation into the rainy season of the 

 system of irrigation. Five furrows are always kept with the least 

 grade water will flow on, between each row of trees. With this sys- 

 tem, storm off-flow has lost its terror for the steepest cultivated side- 

 hill. 



At this ranch there was a small alfalfa field on the slope of from 

 •one in ten to one in twelve. A part of this field is still in alfalfa. On 

 no occasion has the rainfall on this field ever flowed off it. More than 

 this, storm furrows, bringing the rain off-flow from the cultivated or- 

 chards above it and terminating in the alfalfa leave their water divided 

 and absorbed in the field. It is in fact a torrent extinguisher on a 

 small scale. I have repeatedly tried the effect of grass on a flow of 

 water. Turn a strong flow of water on a lawn. You will have no cut. 

 The water delivered from a hose concentrated will be sub-divided, and 

 if it fiows off the grass at all, it will do so in a gentle and broadly dif- 

 fused way. With a large lawn and a large enough fiow of water to 

 finally cross, you may have another valuable experience. The water 

 will continue to flow from the lower part of the lawn for a long time. 



