Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-02-22
1.-THE NEW AGRICULTURE"
Universal Sub-irrIgation Only a
Little Way Off-lts Great Advan-

Universal Sub-lrrIgation Only a
Little Way Off-lts Great Advan-
tages.
The New York Sun--so IL claims-was
the first paper In the world TO take the 10
sponsibility OF declaring that irrigation is to
become all-pervadins. and that not q decade
is likely TO pass before tillers of the soil will
be everywhere irrigating their lands. None
will think OF attempting to farm il without
doing so, and sub-irrigation at that A. ~.
Cole of Wellsville, Alegany county, writes
TO say that letters from all parts of the
United States continue to reach him max
ing inquiries touching what he terms his
new agriculture" Mr.. Coles system is
attracting attention in every country of the
world, as 1T does not call for springs,
streams, ponds or lakes, but wherever his
methods are applied these make an appear
ance and when they come they come 10
stay. Wherever dews distil, rains descend,
SHOWS fall, and ice mets along the mountain
sides, there is Mr. Cole at home with his
magic wand of sub irrigation.
Col. III. w. Wilson, in "A recent address be-
fore the Massachusetts Horticultural socie-
ty, spoke as follows;
About 30, 600 gallons Of water are ordina-
rily required to give an acre OF land pro-
per saturaton, and no irrigation can be at
all satisfactory which attempts to do any
less. AS the gardner has often observed,
both in the greenhouse and the garden, a
slight watering often proves only an aggra-
walton, and oitentimes an injury, while the
only benefit is derived from thorough
drenching: so in our climate, with ordinary
soils such as are To be advantageously cul-
"A "
depth over the entire surface to make use
full irrigation Of almost any crop. This.
with what will be lost by leakage and evap-
Grafton, will amount to 5000 gallons.
For vegetables and small fruits the value
of water would be greatly increased in dry
years, while for strawberries the benefit
would be greater than anything Of which
cultivatOrs have hitherto dreamed Drouth
is the constant dread of the strawberry
grower, as the strawberry is "A thirsty plant,
and seldom gets water enough.
"Of sub-irrigation one great advantage Of
this method is that il avoids the enormous
evaporation and consequent loss of heat and
moisture sustained whenever the surface of
the ground is moistcncd in summer. IL has
been successfully used on u large scale in
California
1T is very evident from common expert
ence that injurious droughts are increasing
In frequency, and the careful consideration
of the subject will develop the following
simple but significant truths
That whatever the cause of this deficien-
cy of moisture. whether from the destruc
ton of the forests or not. the Simplest a.
cheapest remedy at the hands Of the AZ
culturist is irrigation.
THAT whenever supply of water can he
obtained the cost Of pumping IL will not eX-
coed 3 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 rcpirs
and depreciation and interest on the cost
of the necessary fixtures and reservoir: this
is less loss than one sixth the price charged
by the city of Boston for metered water and
considerably less than the price charged for
irrigation in any place where the present
generation has constructed the works and
seeks TO make them pay rcmunerative in
come.
available there aTe 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 tina. no sched
ule of cost can be given, but the cases will
be rare where $50 or $1,000, discreetly eX
pended will not furnish water for the irri
CATION Of fifteen acres of tillage land.
THAT the preservation OF "a single crop In
year of unusual drought would reimburse
the who,e expense.
THAT the positive assurance of immunity
from the effects of drought should induce
all cultivators to secure at once the means
of iIrigating their land if possible
THAT, besides the security afforded In
the face of an excessive drought, il will he
used very profitably in almost any season
with "A variety of crops