The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-08-30

unaimely drought IN SOME cases and ex-
censivo rain In others. These sources Of
injury are both lacking. as . rule, in the
agriculture Of arid regions watered arti-
ficialIy. Even in SECTIONS where me an
nual rainfall Is heavy II has becn discov-
cred that n System Of irrigation Is OF inn
portant service against periods OF
drought IL 10 common sight in parts
Of France, Italy, and Switzerland. that
Of narrow irrigating bitches. slanting
transvcrscly down the mowings on UNI
dulating ground The writer's last visit
e Switzerland was during what was
called q dry summer. but the tourist
would never have detected the fact from
the fresh appearance Of most Of the grass
land. In Florida the annual rainfall Is
ample, were 1t evenly distributed: yet
many Of the thoughtful orchardis.s OF
that State are seriously turning their at
tention TO tho subject OF irrigation. A
farmer living In New York. on the edges
Of the Adirondacks, has often attracted
the notice and perhaps the envy OF his
neighbors by his abundant and thrifty
crops OF garden sass. Tho secret OF II
Is that he has tapped a mountain stream
which runs along the edge of his prem
ises, and, by a simple system OF ditching,
has conducted its waters to his gar len in
dry times
A second advantage OF culture by ir-
rigation is found in the fertilixing effect
of the water. No compost Of mans de-
vice can equal in value these benefcent
streams. freely supplied by nature. OF
course this element varies in different
cases. and, for intelligent farming by ir-
rigation. a knowledge OF the chemical
qualities Of the water employed is quite
essential. To illustrate this point practi-
cally, let us take an extract from a re-
port issued last year from the California
Experiment Station The writer is
speaking OF the water supply coming
from the upper San Bernardino Valley
and the adjacent mountains He says:
-There Is one point which must not be
passed over in tho valuation of these
waters for irrigation purposes II IL the
unusually large proportion of potash
salts contained in them, which, at the
rate at which water is commonly used
In that region-say one inch 10 five acres
will amply suffice to provide all that
most crops require OF that important
fertilizer. For, with the full use Of one
fifth inch through each year Correspond
ing to n rainfall Of nearly 80 inches),
each acre would currently receive no
less than AZ pounds of potash sulphate,
worth over 81. 60 at Wholesale, from the
artesian well water. and about 63 pounds
of the same from the creek water. Con-
sidering tho quality OF their soil, this
means that the purchase of potash fertil
izers will hardly ever trouble the irrigat-
ors Of Riverside. This is no guess work,
but the result OF careful analysis, con-
firmed by the experience of the fruit
farmers themselves. Taking this fact
into account. together with the wonder
full natural fertility OF the soil in most of
that region. IL is not strange that the
lucky possessor Of fruit farms there
about aver that they can reach afiiu-
ence with 10 acres there as easily as they
can half starve ON a hundred or two in
New England. 1t would be too much to
say that the irrigation of crops would
pay in all cases. For instance, IL might
hardly pay, as rule. to increase the yield
of a wheat field 10 or 10 bushels an acre
by means of irrigation. for the expense
of the water and the contingencies of
the wheat market would set of the in
crease of production.
Yet this, even, has been done In the
San Joaquin Valley, California, where
oil the conditions Of soil and water were
favorable. Winter wheat has been
brought to yield OF 40 to 90 bushels an
acre. Even in this favored spot. how
ever, fruit culture Is found more profita-
BILE and is superseding that of wheat
Yet there arc cases, not only in the
Southwest but all over the country,
where irrigation might be, at times, APP
piled with little expense and great bene-
fit To farm products. Even in New
England there may be found not few
farms on which, had the proprietor taken
half the pains TO utilize his flowing
streams that he has TO keep the boys
from catching trout In them, it would
have been more TO his personal profit
lAmerican Agricnlturist
Lawn Decoration.