Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-07-30
ATESIAN IRRIGATION

BlESlAN IRRIGATION
NOW IT HAS BEEN UTILIZED
IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
0seitss of the Canal system Illassratst--
lgatioa Advocates Glad to Know og
&rell's Dsssst-A Field OF whsst which
ess Droush and Hot Winds
A1vocates Of . system OF practical irri.
Gag1on by means Of artesian wells. In
0oueh Dakota, ore glad to know that Maj.
P0selrs pct scheme for preliminary
sursey" hes besu sat down on BY congress.
Psatae in South Dakota know for . cer-
teiafty that IN insxhaustible supply Of
vkt& undsrliss the southern portion Of
~ 1tats and I'll that 10 necessary is to tap
4 - the ''iiquid" will gush from the
aainal package" to refresh their thirsty
$500 and cause them to bring forth
aAedant hasvssts. Tho probability that
S019A Dakota will soon be provided with
my sulleisnt to put down number Of
azeM ysils Tor iEzigatioa purposes u
sUl ~ aslsssT 1isslly iaaSss
ssted In the subject. Msj. Conln, state
engineer Of irrigation, believes that &2o.-
COO win b Ane start, and it will be
thankfully received. He 10 Of the opinion
that the results obtained on the farms ir-
rigatsd in the vicinity Of Huron the present
season will be such % to prompt many
farmers to try the experiment for them
selves next season. Arrangements ore al
ready being made for putting down mum.
Der OF wells in that vicinity, oil to be used
for irrigation purposes. A few days since
q correspondent visited the Dakota Farm
Mortgage compAny's farm, adjoining the
town OF Hitchcock in the north part Of
Beadle county. This farm IL being irri-
gated By water from an artesian we'll, and
is attracting the attention Of farmers
throughout the state. The Hitchcock farm
joins the town OF the same name. It com.
prises 160 acres and is IN unusually arid
tract. About seventy five acres Of the
farm 10 being irrigated, all sown to wheat.
The work ct preparing the tract for water
was done by W. H. HedRer, of Redfield, a
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 csnter Of
It. These bitches are from four to six feet
wide and from to two and half feet, %
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 tbs field At from 40 to Is
feet apart, giving the field the appearance
of mammoth checker board.
Tie water for supplying the canals and
bitches comes from an aitesian we'll about
5000 feet distant. The we'll is used fol
operating the Hitchcock roller mill, the
waste water going into large ditch which
extends diagonally across the farm. From
this ditch tho water 10 turned into the
bitches and cannals for irrigating, the fov,
however, being much moro than 10 nsces-
sary for keeping the irrigated tract
in proper condition. The work ol
flooding the bitches 10 accom-.
plishsd By means Of gates, II being but ths
work of . moment to open or close them
From the main bitches the water il
turned into the smaller canals by means oi
small box sluices ct the head Of each canal
Should it be necessary to food any par
ticular point more copiously than another
It 10 only necessary to open the sluice bo,
at the head OF the canal leading to thu
point and the water goes coursing through
the canal to the point desired. In thu
event that rains furnish sufficient moisture
the gate at the head Of the main ditch j,
kept closed ana the water continues to rur
o6 through the waste ditch. A boy OF or.
dinsry Judgment can easily care for th.
irrigated tract and have several hours sack
day to devote to other work.
Upon this farm is growing ~ fine ,
Asld OF wheat - ono could wish to see
L vas sown from four to Ave weeks late
than that upon neighboring fields, but it
growth has been 10 rapid that it is fa
ahead Of any in that locality. Il stand
waist high, the heads are long and filled Il
the very tips, and the entire field with
stood the scorch,ng winds that did mucl
damage to other fields. The crop will b.
very heavy and ready to harvest ~ early .
that grown upon unirrigated farms. Th
experiments on the Hitchcock farm dem
onstrste that irrigation In this part o
South DAkota ID mot only practicable, bu
u cheap and profitable, and It will mot b
surprising IL scores Of farmers engage il
like experiments next season.