Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-05-10
Irrigation in Rainy Districts.

Irrigation in Rainy Districts.
Irrigation is rarely resorted to in
any country or in any portion of q
country unless it is absolutely necessa-
ry for the production of crops. 1t is
seldom practiced for the purpose of
helping out the supply of moisture
afforded by rainfall or for preventing
the evil results of droughts of short
continuance. AS arule it only receives
attention in places where there are no
rains or where the fall of water from
the clouds is limited to a very short
portion of the year. If irrigation is an
absolute necessity, as it is in Egypt
and some portion of this country,
France, and Spain it is practiced in
very scientific and very thorough man
ner. Irrigation needs to be practiced
in many places where there is consid-
cradle rainfall and where good crops
of some vegetables are generally raised
without the trouble of obtaining an
artificial supply of moisture. 1t would
also be desirable and economical to.
practice irrigation in localities where
there is an occasional severe drought
or where crops are raised that require
the value of many of the farms in the
southern states might be doubled by
the introduction of irrigation works
that could be constructed and operated
at very small cost. At present it is
very difficult to raise large crops of
grass and clover in most of the south
ern states. The roots of these plants
are destroyed not by frosts but by lack
of moisture at the time when it is most
needed. There is sufficient rain during
the parts of the year when plants do
not grow, but a great scarcity during
the months when they should make the
largest growth. In some parts of the
south stock require to be fed during
July and August as they do during De-
cember and February. The like is oc-
casionally the case in southern Illinois
Several crops that mature quickly,
as the small grains, can be raised be-
fore the midsummer droughts occur.
A few, like millet, Hungarian grass,
and sorghum will attain very fair
growth with very little moisture
Other, and especially those that grow
rapidly, require a large amount of
moisture. Among the garden vege-
tables that require large amount of
moisture is celery. 1t can only be
raised in some parts of the country by
the aid of irrigation Its quality is al
ways better and the stalks larger when
an abundance of moisture is afforded.
In very dry seasons the crop is fail
ure except in places where there is an
abundant natural or artificial supply of
water. All the small fruits require q
liberal amount of moisture from the
time the blossoms form till the fruit is
ripened. a large amount of moisture
is essential to producing large crop
of strawberries. The yield will be very
small if there are not frequent rains
during the period of blossoming and
fruiting. With proper facilities for ir-
rigation large crop of Strawberries
may be depended on almost every sea-
son. During very dry seasons the
strawberry crop is generally short.
Persons who are able to irrigate their
strawberry grounds, however, are able
TO harvest large crops and to obtain
high prices. Strawberries have been
known to double in size in thirty
hours on land artiticially supplied with
water at the proper times. Nearly all