Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-10-12
IRRIGATION IN COLORADO.

1ne uefWauo hsve PoRe. fsSt
that che who has water hiss gfaR." The
irriga,o.s in the vicinity CT Northern Spain
need no manure where they use water BY
irrigation. In that section the water il
loaded with the abraided deposit Of the
granite rocks, held IN solution until, by
warpibg and flooding, it is deposited on
their farms. Near Antwerp. the Meadow
are never MANFRED, but highly improved
by the application Of water alone. In the
manipulation Of his soils the farmer can
take advantage Of knowledge gained BY
study OF their peculiarities ard experience
in their treatment. II he has . too stiff
and heavy clsyey soil, be may apply thin
LAYER Of calcareous or silicious sediment or
warp. Ifit is too light, candy, and lacks
compsctness, solution which will give
deposit Of clay will prove advantageous.
Water 10 such cases must be nsed as an in.
filtrater and not for superficial deposit alone.
Where water is used as fertilizer as we'll
a. refreshing medium, reservoirs must be
dispensed with unless the intention is 70
replenish the bottom Of the reservoir for
the ultimate objec, Of retaining it for farm
or garden purposes. Water is priced for
irrigation purposes Just in the ratio Of its
amount Of eItraneous matter contained in
solution. River and swamp waters are
always preferable to spring waters for other
reasons besides fertilizing. Spring waters
are always colder than river water, and
therefore, not 30 well adapted to cereals and
small plsnts particularly. To test the ne
cessity Of proper temperature for irrigai-
ing water, let the gardener and farmer try
the experiment Of watering plants Of the
same kind, part Of them BY warm and part
by cold water, and they will easily see
wha, difference there will be in favor Of
the warm water.
On the Ganges or Nile, it is usual to
make dikes or embsnkments to keep the
waters COINED within certain limits in order
that they may have sufficient time to de-
post their alluvial sediment. This is known
as "warping" all over the world. In Egypt
these deposits are alluviai in their character;
in England and Germany they are chiefly
salt and marine deposits.
The amount of matter which comes down
from the Rocky Mountains is immense, ard
cannot be estimated; and the same process
has been going on from time immemoriAl
How, then can the great plains ever be
exhausted, il the farmer will use the waters
that come heavily laden with the nutrition
which. furnishes the every day food for
plants!
Irrigation cannot be complete without
proper and iudicions UNDERTAKING.. 1t
requires good subsoiling, il the depth Of the
soil will admit it, and thorough underdrain.
ing. Simple water burrows are not sufhc-
lent in every instance. The water must be
carried of as effectuslly and with as much
care as was devoted to bringing ii onto the
land. Water. standing in pools on the land
should be immediately got rid Of. In the
winter such pools are apt to accumulate;
then the pillow and the spade should be
brought into re9uisitiou, even ifit is in
mid-winter, upon winter crops.
Meadow grass hiss, as yet, received but
little attention in Colorado, simply because
the farmers there have tried the European
plan Of very hesvy watering. 1t mus, Be
borne in mind that tenth part Of the water
used in England is not required in Colora,
do, for the reason that the compact turf. the
growth of many years In England, will