Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-07-25
1.-THE NEW AGRICULTURE"
Universal Sub-Irrigation Only Little Way
Of-Its Great Advantages.


Of-Its Great Advantages.
The New York Suaa-so it claims
was the first paper in the world to take
the responsibility of declaring that ir-
rigation is to become -pervading, tand
that not decade is likely to pass be-
fore tillers of the soil will be every
where irrigating their lands. None
will think of attempting to farm it
without dong so, and sub-irrigation at
that. A. N. Cole of Wellsville, Allie
gany county, writes to say that letters
from all parts of the United States con-
tinue to reach him making inquiries
touching what he terms, his "new
agriculture" Mr.. Coles system is at
tracing attention in every country of
the world, since it does not call for
springs, streams, ponds, or lakes, but
wherever his methods are applied
these make an appearance, and when
they come they come to stay. Where
ever dews distil. rains descend, SHOWS
fall, and ice melts along the mountain
sides, there is Mr. Cole at home with
his magic wand of sub-irrigation.
Col. III. w. Wilson, in recent adj
dress before the Massachusetts Horti-
cultural society, spoke as follows:
"About $4,000 gallons of water are
ordinarily required to give an acre of
land proper saturation, and no irri-
CATION can be at all satisfactory which
attempts to do any less. AS the gard
ener has often observed, both in the
greenhouse and the garden, slight
watering often proves only an aggra-
walton, and oftentimes an injury,
while the only benefit is derived from
a thorough drenching; so in our clim-
ate, with ordinary soils such as are
found to be advantageously cultivated,
it will require about two inches in
depth over the entire surface to make
useful irrigation of almost any crop.
This, with what will be lost by leak
age and evaporation, will amount to
$4,000 gallons.
For vegetables and small fruits the
value of water would be greatly in
creased in dry years, while for straw
berries the benefit would be greater
than anything of which cultivators
have hitherto dreamed. Drought is
the constant dread of the strawberry
grower, as the strawberry is thirsty
plant, and seldom gets water enough.
age of this method is that it avoids the
enormous evaporation and consequent
loss of heat and moisture sustained
whenever the surface of the ground is
moistened in summer. 1t has been
successfully used on a large scale in
California.
at is very evident from common ex-
perence that injurious -droughts are
increasing in frequency, and the care
full consideration of the subject will
develop the following simple but signif-
cant truths:
THAT whatever the cause of this de-
ficiency of moisture, whether from the
destruction of the forests or not, the
simplest and cheapest remedy at the
hands of the agriculturist is irriga-
ton.
THAT whenever supply of water
can be obtained the cost of pumping
| it will not exceed cents per 1000
gallons for an amount of 10000 gallons
per day pumped to height of fifty
feet above the surface of the water,
which cost will include the necessary
repairs and depreciation and interest
on the cost of the necessary fixtures
and reservoir; this is less than one
sixth the price charged by the city of
Boston for metercd water and consid-
erably less than the price charged for
the irrigation in any place where the
present generation has constructed. the
works and seeks to make them pay a
remunerative income.
THAT should brook or spring be
not available there are but few places
where an adequate supply may not be
obtained by sinking wells.
That the cost and arrangement of
the work will vary so much with the
different locations and circumstances
that no schedule of cost can be gwen,
but the cases will be rare where $3.50
or $1,000, discreetly expended, will
not furnish water for the irrigation of
fifteen acres of tillage land.
That the preservation of single
crop in a year of unusual drought
would reimburse the whole expense.
THAT the positive assurance of i'm
munity from the effects of drought
should induce all cultivators to secure
at once the means of irrigating their
land if possible.
THAT, besides the security afforded
in the case of an excessive drought, it
will be found that water can be used
very profitably in almost any season
with great variety of crops"