Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-08
ARTEsIAN IRRIGATION
EOW 1T HAS BEEN UTiLi1E6
IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

! IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
| Beauties of the Canal system illustrated
| Irrigation Advocates Glad to Know OF
Powrn's Dcfeat-A Fold OF Wheat Which
! Dcfies Drouuh and Hot Winds.
Advocates Of system of practical irrl-
cation by means of artesian wells, in
South Dakota, are glad to know that Maj.
Powell's pet scheme for preliminary
survey" has been sat down on by congress.
People in South Dakota know for GER
,aaity that an inexhaustible supply of
water underlies the southern portion OF
! the state aud all that is necessary is to tap
| it and the 'llquld" will gush from the
"original package" to refresh their thirsty
fields and cause them to bring forth
abundant harvests. The probability that
South Dakota will soon be provided with
money sufficient to put down number OF
artesian wells for irrigation purposes is
very encouraging to those directly inter
estea IN the subject. Maj. Coffin, state
engineer of irrigation, believes that $780,
| COO will be fine start, and it will be
| thankfully received. He is of the opinion
| that the results obtained on the farms ir-
rigated in the vicinity of Huron the present
season will be such as to prompt many
| farmers to try the experiment for them
\ selves next season. Arrangements are al
ready being made for putting down e num-
| Der OF wells in that vicinity, AL to be used
| for irrigation purposes. few days since
correspondent visited the Dakota Farm
Mortgage company's farm, adjoining tbs
! town of Hitchcock in the north part Of
Beadle county. This farm is being 'rri-
| gated by water from an artesian we'll, aud
is attracting the attention of farmers
throughout the state. The Hitchcock farm
joins the town Of the same name. 1t COM
prises 100 acres and is IN unusually arid
| tract. About seyenty-five acres of the
farm is being irrigated, all sown to wheat.
The work Of preparing the tract for water
was done by w. II. Hedger, of Redfeld,
civil engineer experienced IN this sort of
work. The lateral or main bitches
| are on three sides of the irrigated
tract, while two others pene-
trate nearly to the center of
| 1t. These bitches are from four to six feet
| wide aud from l to two and half feet, as
the surface of the land may require. From
! each Of these large bitches extend small
canals, ranging from three to five inches in
depth and probably six inches in width
These extend into the field at from 40 to rs
feet apart, giving the field the appearance
of mammoth checker board.
The water for supplying the canals and
bitches comes from an a1tesian well about
5000 feet distant. The we'll is used for
operating the Hitchcock roller mill, the
waste water going into large ditch which
extends diagonally across the farm. From
this ditch the water is turned into the
bitches and cannals for irrigating, the flow,
however, being much more than is neces-
sary for keeping the irrigated tract
in proper condition. Tho work of
| flooding the bitches is accom-
| plished by means of gates, it being but the
work of a moment to open or close them.
From the main bitches the water is
turned into the smaller canals BY means of
small box sluices at the head of each canal.
Should it be necessary to flood any par
ticular point more copiously than another,
1t is only necessary to open the sluice box
at the head Of the canal leading to the
point and the water goes coursing through
the canal to tho point desired. In the
event that rains furnish sufficient moisture
the gate at the head Of the main ditch is
kept closed and the water continues to run
off through the waste ditch. A boy of or
binary judgment can easily care for the
irrigated tract and have several hours each
day to devote to other work.
Upon this farm is growing as fire a
field OF wheat as one could wish to see.
1t was sown from four to five weeks later
than that upon neightoring fields, but it's
growth has been so rapid that it is far
ahead Of any in that locality. 1t stands
Waist high, the heads are long and filled to
the very tips, and the entire field with
stood the scolchlng Winds that did much
damage to OTHER fields. The crop will be
very heavy and ready to harvest as early as
that grown upon unirrigated farms. The
experiments on the Hitchcock farm dem
onstrate that irrigation in this part of
South Dakota is not only practicable, but
is cheap and profitable, and 1t will not be
surprising if scores Of farmers engage ia
Lax experiments next season.
Goa! Near Home.
Frederick Dupraa an old Era,oh co,o-