Delta chief., 1883-08-15
ALFALFA BASIN.
The First Years Experience Rnnching
In this Secluded Nook.
HARD-BREAD RANCH, August Il

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terests large majority of our citizens. But
if l am not presuming too much on your
space, will dish up few chunks of pure
and unadulterated intellect on this subject, so
far as it pertains to this (Alfalfa) basin.
What am about to relate is purely from ex-
perience, and not from mere heresay, and
give it for what it is simply worth, and not
| in the way of advice. To say we have here
in this basin Milton's Paradise Lost is but
vague expression so far as description of the
basin in an agricultural point of view is
cerned, for it is here we have soil, as regards
quality and texture, that would satisfy the
most fastidious. Yes, we have soil from the
loose, loamy white and yellow sand down Tor
up as you wish to term it, to the most re-
fractory "adobe." We have also an abund-
ance of water for both domestic and irrigating
purposes, with bitches for its transportation,
constructed in the highest style of the art.
Surrounded by such conveniences as l have
Just spoken of, furnished with farming tools
of the most modern style and make, with the
best of grub McGranahan Bros. had in their
shop, served in a style and manner that would
astonish the most tastdious taste, and blessed
with an appetite that invited me to march up
to the frugal board three times day. twas
under these circumstances that | consented
to "crap" it, this season, in Alfalfa basin.
There is planted in this basin quite a variety
of seeds, such as corn, wheat, oats, barley,
millet and timothy, all of which so far has
ford have excellent crops while that of S. s.
Baldwin has by far excelled his most san
guine expectations. The cereal crop of this
basin was put in partly with harrow and
partly with cultivator, that of the latter
standing much longer without needing water.
That which was narrowed in required irrigat-
ing about once week on sandy SOIL and on
adobe soil it was found very necessary that
the ground be kept very moist all the time,
especially where 1t was inclined to dry out to
a depth of about two inches, crack into
squares of from four to six inches and roll up
like an old boot sole or bacon rind. | am
very much opposed to putting grain in with
harrow, especially on this adobe SOL where
it is inclines to dry out quick on top, for
grain it matters not how put in, will, when
thoroughly irrigated, throw out near the sur
face innumerable small fbrous roots, from
whence it derives sustenances, so long as the
ground is warm and moist on the surface
but the change is so sudden from wet to dry,
on top, that these surface roots die out, and
before the grain can take root down deep,
where the soil is moist, it has suffered.
Hence the necessity of putting in grain with
plow say from three to four inches deep,
thereby giving it a deep root from whence it
can obtain nourishment from its inception
lHls Tulc Will HOlu SOOu III hlUh VI soI
for having given it a thorough test l know
whereof speak. My attention was called to
this fact by experimenting with piece of
sandy soil had seeded to barley this year,
which required irrigating about once week.
In fact it would wilt in less than weeks
time during the hottest of the season, and on
examination found the ground sufficiently
moist ut depth of three inches TO
stick to my shovel. As to the best system of
irrigation am not able to advise, for it seems
that every ranchman is in possession OF n
system far superior to his ncighbor's, and
knowing there such variety of soil to be
irrigated, and that there exists such a diversi-
ty of opinion in regard to the best mode of
irrigating, | am inclined to think it is like
telling u man how to swim, for it all moves
off well until he finds himself in deep water,
then comes the "tug of war" The system
adopted and carried out here in the basin
this year was that of flooding, allowing the
water to spread broadcast over the surface.
This system is much in use and works admir-
ably on sand lying very nearly level and
highly susceptible of irrigation but on the
adobe soil, where the ground lays uneven,
the desired effect can be produced only by
the construction and maintenance of n sys-
TEN of borders that would do credit to those
running parallel with the Father of Waters
l beg to be excused in such cases, for my ex-
perence teaches me that to use these borders
effectively, they must be kept moist, for if
allowed to dry out they are inclined to become
perforated, and the result is that where water
comes in contact with them it pours through |
them like the grace of God through negro |
camp meeting. And it is always the case
that the water make its appearance through |
these cracks at a time when there is no loose |
dirt in a mile of you, when you are prepared |
the least to meet the emergency. 1t is while |
passing through such ordeals that my hair |
wakes perpendicular and my sentiments take
shape in words and expressions very unbe- |
coming the Christian gentleman am. This
can be avoided by simply adopting what is
known rs the "fuirow system" 4. e., run the |
water through burrows instead of flooding, |
being governed altogether to the distance |
you run your burrows apart by the nature of |
your soil, always being sure to run the fur |
rows sufficiently close together to allow the |
moisture to meet in the middle of the rows,
thereby furnishing the water to the grain by |
means Of sub-irrigation or percoiation. The
Of this system as the most productive of good |
examine the grain standing on the borders, |
along the side ditches and see If it is not |
more forward and heavier and better grain, |
than that where flooded. In adopting the |
furrow system care should be taken to run |
the furrow as to avoid washing the land as |
much as possible. Two grand features favor
able to this system of irrigation are, that you
can let the water course through the burrows |
all the time without any fears of drowning |
out the grain. and avoid the packing of the |
ground around the roots of the grain. This |
will apply only to adobe soil.
As many of your readers have doubtless |
given this mode of irrigation partial trial
this season, / would be glad to hear their |