Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1888-06-06
IRRIGATING LANDS.
DESCRIPTION OF THE Big bitches
OUT IN COLORADO.

0ESCf1If ttON VT tHG bt6 DttIn6o
OUT IN COLORADO.
OF Canals for Irrigation.
Tapping the River or Creek-Flooding
the Crops In Dry season-surprising
Results-Profits.
The great system OF irrigating lands In
dry sections for crops is as yet in its in
fancy, but wherever tried 1t has done
well, and irrigating bitches have yielded
large return to the investors in them.
Most of the largest bitches are in Col
orado, where 5000, 600 acres of land are
subject to irrigation. OF this vast body
less than 5000 acres have been ir-
rigated, leaving 100000 to be wa
tered yet. The canals in course OF
construction win water about 200, 600
Of the Z, 500, 900 acres. This is enormous
when we consider that the whole
system of irrigation has grown up almost
within the past five years. The San Louis
Park canal, watering 400, 900 acres; State
Land canal, lac, 600 acres; Citizens canal,
ITO, 900 acres, and Del Norte and Suguache
canal, $50, 900 acres, may be mentioned as
among the most successful Colorado
bitches. These three canals cover 100, 600
acres Of government land, 200, 900 acres Of
patented land, and $50, 900 acres of state
land, They will furnish homes for be-
tween 8, 900 and 1900 farmers. Thewater
for the canals Is taken from the Rio
Grande river near the town Of Del Norte.
The largest canal is 100 feet wide at its
head and gradually narrows down to
twelve feet. Its depth varies from two to
six feet. It has when full a capacity for
watering 400, 900 acres Of land.
CONSTRUCTING A CANAL. =
How do they make irrigating canalss
Easy enough and quite rapidly. First is
the construction of the main canal. The
water is taken from a river or creek, the
supply being regulated by head gate.
The canal may be ten, twenty or fifty feet
wide and one, five or ten feet deep, &C
cording to the volume Of water desired.
Generally the CANALS are wide and shallow
like a creek. Indeed, they are merely
artificial creeks, and when grass grown
and planted with trees along their banks
are hard to tell from the natural streams
A favorable place for tapping the river or
creek having been found, the canal Is
carried forward to the high grounds. 1t
Is generally given about half the fall Of
the river or creek, SO it soon reaches an
elevation far above the natural stream
and has the lands between it and the
stream below its waters. At intervals as
needed, small canals are taken out and
carried to the farms. Each lateral has a
head gate and measure for the water The
laterals are built so as to cover the greatest
number Of farms. At certain distances
sublaterals are taken out from the main
laterals, and these sublaterals too have
| head gates and water measures. The sub
| laterals are used by individual farmers.
II before blowing time there has been rain
enough to soften the ground the farmer
| does not resort to his ditch, but, IL the
season is dry, he opens his headgate and
saturates the ground. The seeding is
| then done. Ten acres Is about the allow
| ance Of land that can be irrigated in one
! day per man. Unless water is very plenti-
| full farmers are limited to eighty acres each
/ to be irrigated in one season, but this does
not include grass lands.
After the crops come up they are irri-
gated or simply flooded. The quantity Of
water put on is about equal to what would
fall in three days steady rain. When the
crop is half grown it is irrigated again.
Two irrigations are considered enough fol
q crop in q season, unless the weather Is
very hot and dry, and then three irriga-
lions may be put on. It will thus be seer
that every farmer holds in his own hands
the means of making crop when he has
irrigating bitches.
| EXPENSE OF IRRIGATION.
Root crops can always be kept moist
and require five or ten times as much
water as cereals. The expense Of irriga
ton, when compared with the benefits
derived Is very slight. Irrigation about
doubles crops, and the cost of the water Is
inever over % per acre, and often as low
as sixty cents per acre, per annum. Forty
and fifty bushels Of wheat per acre arr
often raised Under irrigation. Potatoes
frequently grow to five pounds, and yield
$50 to 500 bushels per acre. Other root
crops yield equally well, and barley viii
yield forty bushels per acre and oats otter
fifty and sixty bushels. I have seen sew
enty-seven bushels of oats cut on an acre
Of irrigated land, and myself measured
500 bushels Of wheat cut from ten acre
field in Colorado, near Boulder. Wilt
hay, when well irrigated, will cut TIVE
tons per acre, and alfalfa four to six tons
All kinds Of berries, such as strawberries
raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries
currants and such fruits, grow prolific
ally under irrigation, and yield nearly 1
double crop. From $500 to $500 is Otter
taken from an acre for small fruits.
i Ditching machines have been made fol
digging irrigating canals, but never saw
one that worked satisfactorily. The bes
ditching machine is an Irishman and 1
wheelbarrow or plow and Ecraper.
ditch ten feet wide and two or three fee
deep can ordinarily be made at cost o
$1,000 per mile. The income from tn,
water in such q ditch in q good locality i
about "A per cent. per an1lum on the, cos
Of making. So It VIM be seen ditching 4
profitable. The little companies frs
formed in Colorado had great difficulty II
placing their stock, but they throve ainaz
:ngly and soon men Of capital began Il
look into the matter. The Colorado LOAF
and Trust company was formed by Mr.
7. G. Henry for the purpose Of irrigatinl
lands, and soon large bitches were unde
way. This company now controls man,
bitches and irrigates nearly I, 600, 900 acre
Of land. There are many other compa
mics, and believe all are making money
l-Gen. James 8. Brisbin in New Yorl
Tribune.