Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-05-26
1RRIGATING LANDS.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BIG bitches
OUT IN COLORADO.

esults-Pront
The great system OF irrigating lands In
dry sections Tor crops is as yet in its IN
fancy, but wherever tried it has done
well, and %irrigating bitches have yielded a
large return to the investors in them.
Most of the largest bitches are in Col
oradO, where 5000, 900 acres of land are
subject to irrigation. OF his vast body
less than 1900 acres have been ir-
rigated, leaving $500, 600 to be wa
tered yet. The canals in course OF
construction will water about 1,2OO, 900
of the $500, 600 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, l4O, 600 acres; Citizens canal,
10000 acres, and Del Norte and Suguache
canal, 10000 acres, may be mentioned as
among the most successful Colorado
bitches. These three canals cover 1OO. 600
acres of government land, 200, 600 acres OF
patented land, and $50. 600 acres Of state
land. They will furnish homes for be-
tween 5000 and 1000 farmers. The water
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. 1t has when full a capacity for
watering 400, 600 acres of land.
CONSTRUCTING A CANAL.
How do they make irrigating canals,
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 a head gate.
TAe 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
II planted with trees along their banks
are hard 10 tell from the natural streams.
y favorable place for tapping the river or
creek having been found, the canal is
carried forward 10 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 il and the
stream below its waters. At intervals rs
needed, small canals are taken out and
carried TO the farms. Each lateral has q
head gate and measure for the water. Tho
laterals are built SO as to cover the greatest
[ number Of farms. At certain distances
sublaterals are taken out from the main
l%aterals, II these sublaterals too nave
head gates n water measures. The sub
laterals are used by individual farmers.
If before blowing time there has been rain
enough TO soften the ground the farmer
does not resort to his ditch, but, If the
season is dry, he opens his headgate and
saturates the ground. The seeding is
| tLn, l,yn Ta,, .ra Dc .lo,,x ~ H..
ance of land that can be irrigated in one
day per man. Unless water is very plenti-
full farmers are limited 10 eighty acres each
10 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 Oh is about equal to what would
fall III three days steady rain. When the
crop Is half grown it is irrigated again.
Two irriCations are considered enough for
a crop ia u season, unless the weather is
very hot and dry, and then three irriga-
lions may be put On 1t will thus be seen
that every farmer holds in his own hands
the means Of making q 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 rs 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
never over So per acre, and often as low
as sixty cents per acre, per annum Forty
and fifty bushels OF wheat per acre are
often raised under irrigation. Potatoes
frequently grow to five pounds, and yield
$50 10 soc bushels per acre. Other root
crops yield equally we'll, and barley will
yield forty bushels per acre and oats often
fifty and sixty bushels. l have seen sew
enty-seven bushels of oats cut on an acre
of irrigated land, and myself measured
800 bushels of wheat cut from q ten acre
field in Colorado, near Boulder. Wild
hay, when well irrigated, will cut two
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 a
| double crop. From $500 TO 500 is often
taken from an acre for small fruits.
Ditching machines have been mQde for
digging irrigating canals, but / never saw
one that worked satisfactorily. The best
ditching machine is an lrishman and a
wheelbarrow or n plow and a scraper. A
ditch ten feet wide and two or three feet
deep can ordinarily be made at a cost Of
s $1,000 per mile. The income from the
water in such q ditch in n good locality is
about "a per cent. per annum OH the cost
Of making. So it will be seen ditching is
profitable. The little companies first
formed in Colorado had great difficulty in
placing their stock, but they throve amaz-
ingly and soon men Of capital began to
look into the matter. The Colorado Loan
and Trust company was formed by Mr..
L. c.. Henry for the purpose Of irrigating
lands, and soon large bitches were under
way. This company now controls many
bitches and irrigates nearly 200, 600 acres
of lana There are many other compa-
nies, and / believe all are making money.
Gen. James S. Brisbin in New York