Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-11-16
IRRIGATION IN COLORADO
QuBrIoNs ON IRRIGArIoN.
fCopcludsd from last week.

q. Over how many rods broadcast can
v,,sr Be made to Gov with advantage, and
What y the limi. Of distance where the grain
on The upper side Of the FIELD will receive
positive ipjuryf
THIS question cen Be answered only by
he farmer himself, % the limit il gov;rned
entirely by the slope or dsclivity' II the
land i nearly level and the water 10 not in
danger Of degrading the soil when 1t leaves
the lateral, the water can be carried over is
fer very long distance. Bot IL the slope u
. heavy one, common sense would deem 1t
the height Of folly to throw heavy sheet
G. water over ID, or even sufficient. perhaps,
70 carry the water over Eve or six rods, or
even ls.A The kind Of seed must also Be
taken into consideration; Light grss SEEDS
mus. Be very carefully Aooded, il ever, on
say kind Of slope whatever. A ssrong'
hsavy sod Of turf. like the English meadows
vii bear rush Of water which would ut
serly ruin newly planted grass-Pstch.
z, How much lss water il required Tor
land cultivated the year previous, and what,
II any, i The increase Of production in gram
potatoes, and vegetablesf
This . very important question, and IN
wolves more Of careful thought than hos yss
bsen eiven 70 il. On sod lands Il b usual
to calculs.e your crop about tvo-shirds len
,hsp can b ordinarily raised the second
wear; and in some casss very much -,
,housh l have known, in Colorado, iares'
erou, raised than ever afervard. Ths u
due 10 the extra amount Of good farming
and good work expended upon It. Ths
opinion IL borne DOT BY isolated caPs Of
pr.c,ics and experiences. thas il sod land y
ploved we'll In the fall and again IN Tho
spring, and plenty Of water used, the CROP
viii be equal in every case. The crop will
be found 10 b graduated in the ratio oi
mello~ns.s and thorough Polvsrisation oil
the soil, and in the same ratio will b thu
the smoun, Of water required. Plants re-
ouire ssrssion q we'll - moisture, and q
baked soil will never allow proper germ
inasiou Of any but the hardest seeds. Ihe
expenditurs Of force required 70 break u.
cru,, Of . harsh soil will result In dwa'fed
and truncassd plants. Farmers generally
,e,tIe down into the belief that sod land viii
only raise . msagre crop. % they do no.
devo,e The care nsceaary; and Of oousse'
the rssul. only equals their expectation
and scarcely evci excssds it.
&. What 10 the value Of the gramma gras'
for h.y, whec irrigated, and i it likely
,ha, clover, timothy and other tame sras'e'
can be grown to advantage inssssd!
Very little Is known about the irrigation
Of our native grasses in Colorado, and
have beard Of no experience in the matter
In, I am inclined to believe that, II croE
of clover and timothy were sown and bar
,oved in upon our wild grass land', that il
v.uld be the means Of insurinR 6ns crop
when. il our Wild grasses were irrigated Il
they nov stand, the yield for year OF two
would cot be nearly as great.
8. Does the fertility supposed 10 be gives
by the water Of an irrigating canal conn
from the soil through which it Cove or from
the mountain rock, or from both, or 10 .
dine in part to chemical changes. induced
through the action Of the air and sun' cor
responding to fermentation!
am satisfied that the chief, II not enuf'
fertility Of our ,rrieating water, coming -
does from the Rocky Mountains, and. .
ann a, il debouches on the plains, rushing
h.a n, clean sapd. 10 caused By thl