The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1890-07-19


do if they would succeed with agri-
culture.
Three tons of green alfalfa turned
under with an acre of ground will
insure thirty bushels of wheat the
next year and fifty bushels of corn
the year after. There has been no
green. fertilizer yet discovered that
possesses more than half the value of
alfalfa.
When Colorado shall have ten
times the number of acres seeded
and growing to alfalfa that it now
has, there will be less failures in
farming. However dry the season,
alfalfa will make one crop at least,
and with plenty OF moisture will
make three.
There will be an immense depth
of snow in the high mountains of
Colorado that will not be melted this
year. The sun did not commence on
it early enough to get through.
Warm rains were needed in June
and early in July which we did not
get. The snow will keep for another
year.
There is no longer question of the
importance of the storage of water
for irrigating purposes. The reser-
vo;r system Is the only correct enc
for farm safety, and SO is the under
ground carrying of water the proper
way to do. Leakage, seepaee and
evaporation by this method are
overcome.
Sorghum in the eastern portions
of the State, where there is no lrri-
CATION, has been thriving better than
any of the crops up to the present
date. There is no question but that
it stands drouth better than corn,
millet or the tame grasses. It's
success this year will induce an
increase in its planting in the future.
Writes Mr.. Robert Harris of New
Windsor: "In answer to the inquiry
what should the farmer do under the
present depressionr-I will say, first,
pillow under alfalfa, both for wheat
and potatoes. 1t is the best fertilizer
known. Except on alfalfa ground
our potatoes are failure and wheat
is pretty near the same. Where
alfalfa was turned under we shall
get thirty bushels of wheat to the
acre, and like grand results with
potatoes.
For EquabIe Distribution Of Water.
As the population in the agricul-
tural portions of the State increases
the demand for water and tho
difficulties of equable distribution
will continue to grow. The Mormons
many years ago, anticipating the
wants of the future, adopted system
which Is to-day the fundamental
basis for the law regulating irrigation
in Utah. Under this law each farmer
is allowed a certain number of hours
on certain days, notice to be given
each person of the time of day or
night as the case might be when he
was at liberty to turn the water and
at what hour to turn it off. Under
this system three irrigations are
allowed per season. In like manner
all ditch companies, or owners of
large bitches are allotted their time
and their portion of the water. Thus
each person is assured of getting his
proportion of all the water that flows
through the bitches for irrigation
purposes during the season and thus
they obtain an ample supply.
The commission having control of
the distribution of water ie also
vested with power to supervise and
regulate the system OF irrigation Ill
all its ramiications, under the pro-
visions of the law. In this respect
ii performs the service which should
have been expected of the Colorado
irrigation commissioners had tho
Legislature at Its last session not
failed to make an appropriation to
defray the expense of their work.
Each succeeding year makes more
apparent the necessity Of some means
more direct than the Law in the
hands of the regularly constituted
county authorities to regulate the
distribution of water and adjust the
differences which continually arise