St. Paul daily globe., 1890-08-15
Irrigation Believed to Be the
Only Thing to Save the
New States.
The Whole James River VAL
ley Might Be Watered From
APteSian Wells.
A Great Aqua Basin 800 Miles
Across Underlies the
Whole Section.
DR.. Merchants Investigations
Show That ApteSian Irpiga-
ton Is Practicable.

LLLENOALEs M Dss aug lfs-tIIlSd-
tion is now the uppermost topic of dis
cussion in North Dakota. The public
has become almost unanimous that
nothing but irrigation will save the
state from bankruptcy. The best mode
of procedure, and the effect which the
various kinds of water constituting the
artesian supply have upon vegetation
are the questions to be determined. 1t
has been found by actual test that there
is water-beariDg stratum of rock OF
bed of water underlying the James
river valley, which can be reached by
drilling from 400 to 1900 feet. The
average width of this lake bed is thirty
miles; its length, 300 miles. At no
place has it been observed that one
well has any effect upon another. At
Aberdeen it was so stated, but it
has as often been denied. At
lanktOn, there are seven wells. yield
ing, on an average, 1000 gallons of
water per minute, and the flow has not
been decreased in the least by their
multiplicity. This water supply is
from an immense basin, 30X300 miles
across, and from so to 40 feet deep,
with pressure of from 100 to 200
pounds and upward per square inch.
The sand rock in which the water is
found extends west to the mountains,
where it is tilted up and crops out, and
the melting SHOWS from the mountains
run into the assures and keep ON going
until the sand rock runs out by the tilt
ing up of the jasper granite on the east
line of Dakota from Big Stone lake to
Sioux Falls, and. as it cannot get
through, the granite
Acts as a Dam
and forces the water up. The water
must have an immense head somewhere.
This water is the one thing needful to
insure crops, and we have duplicate
of Lake Michigan only 800 feet under
us. The difference in the character of
the soil and rainfall is the principal
cause OF the variation in the amount of
water required. A soft, mellow soil
will hold water longest. 1t takes less
water to irrigate gardens than any other
quality of soil. The soil Of the Dakotas
possesses every qualification for sue
cessful irrigation. DR.. M. f. Merchant,
of this place. has given the subject of
irrigation by artesian wells consid-
cradle of his attention of late.
He has visited several of the ar
tesian wells and the farms irrigated
by them in South Dakota. Last week
he made an extended trip on the Mil
wauke and Northwestern roads, and
viewed the results of the harvests on
those farms. He returned home an en-
!, ,cio ocfio oH Of irrinntinu Ia
states that in every instance where the
water was properly applied the good
results were very noticeable, as shown
by samples of wheat brought back by
him. In no case observed was the
grain sOwn as early as is customary,
and not until ten days or two weeks
afterward was the water turned on, as
the bitches were all cut and gates put
in after seeding the fields At Redfield
the college undertook to irrigate about
fifteen acres
On the River Bottom
by water led from the artesian we'll
through twO-inch pipe into a main
ditch through the center of the field,
with small bitches about sixty feet
apart extending off from the main
ditch. This field was sown to wheat
May 10, and the water was turned on
May 20 and used when needed until the
June rains, after which the field re-
ceived no more water and suffered some
from drouth. Although this field was
not properly cared for, the grain pro-
duced is of a better quality and better
yield. judging from the stubble and
shocks still On the ground, than any
other wheat on the same kind of land
in that vicinity. The next point visited
was Hitchcock, about twenty miles
south of Redfield. on the Northwestern
railway. There the water is taken
from the tail race after having passed
through the motor of a roller mill,
which it supplies with abundant power
to manufacture fifty barrels OF flour per
day. The farm irrigated at this place
lies about half a mile south of the viii
lage, and is so level that gate eight
inches deep would flood the entire field
of seventy-five acres. On three sides of
the field, and extending half way
through In the center, is cut a main
ditch about two feet wide, and the same
in depth, and at intervals of forty feet
are cut shallow bitches at right angles
to the main ditch, and extending across
the field. The water is led from the
main ditch into these
Small Trenches,
and from these the ground Is overflowed
as often as required to keep the crop in
good condition. The field was full of
pigeon grass and wild buckwheat, as
the land was not plowed until late this
spring. Considering the late date of
seeding Zone month after other fields
were sown), the crop is really surpriS-
ing. The grade is No. 1, and the yield
is about twenty-five bushels per acre.
The water was put on about two weeks
after seeding and used quite thoroughly
during the season. Had the ground not
been choked so badly with weeds the
doctor thinks the yield would easily
have been thirty bushels per acre. At
Millette the wheat grown by irrigation
is still better than at Hitchcock. AT all
these points the water obtained from
the wells is of excellent quality for
drinking purposes. and lacks the brack-
ish taste of the wells further north.
Just how much the Glendale well would
influence vegetation is not definitely
known. but it is highly probable that
the water contains no properties delete
rious to growing crops. DIR. Merchant
is thoroughly convinced that irrigation
in South Dakota is success, and that
the system merits thorough trial
wherever water can be obtained for
such purpose. If it meets with the sue
cess claimed for it by those who have
made ii study, it will forever remove
I he uncertainty which now prevails
from seed time until harvest, and make
the James river valley one of the richest
.k~s., fl.n fon of a