Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1891-07-16
The Members of the Commission
now in jamestown, Com.
mence Work.
Several Items Of State Interest,
A Way to Prevent
Frost.
The Attorney General Changes
His Mind and Taxation Ex.
emptiOn Don't Go.
The Irrigation Inquiry.

Aodu4udEGeIS lOr Ciio WOrK 10 De OOne lE
North Dakota. He is accompanied by
W. w. Follett, assistant engineer, Prot
Hay, geologist, and B. S. LAGRANGE o
Colorado, a practical irrigation farmer
who has cultivated irrigated lands fo1
the last 20 years. Col. Nettleton has
been in South Dakota since May, ano
has put in operation several irrigation
plants there. His work has taken him
to Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico
He expects to spend a great part Of Ghe
time unti!Oct. 1st in North Dakota afte,
which he will so to Montana to complete
his assignment. The object of the enter
prise is TO obtain all Information possible
about the seml-arid district between tb<
Rocky mountains and the Mississippi
rlver. to determine the area of the arte
sian basin or basins that may underlie
such districts and to put into practica
operation in the Dakotas irrigation, if j,
be possible to do 80. Several farms ir
South Dakota have been irrigated thil
year by wells, and plans and assistance
has been furnished by Col. Nettletor
and Mr.. LAGRANGE. This works. IN sue
cessful operation now, ard the irrigated
crops show for themselves. Reservoir
have been built and trenches constructed
to convey the water to the land. There
are two farms of about 200 acres eack
near Melette, South Dakota, where irri
CATION is making excellent crops while
the surrounding fields show the effect oi
the scarcity OF water. Rain has not beer
as abundant in the central part OF South
Dakota as in this state, and in number
OF counties the crop is very light. The
reservoir built to hold the water from
the we'll covers about three acres on one
Of the above mentioned farms and is
used for storage. Near Huron there il
400 acre farm irrigated, and showing
the best crops Of the vicinity. This worl
has all been done since May and the
farmers are convinced that the scheme
will be entirely practicable. it's only
drawback being the cost Of the wells
They come for long distances to see the
fields and believe that il the water holds
out, there is nothing but the expense
to prevent certain crop being secured
each year by irrigation. Loan and trust
companies that have forecloeed are coins
to irrlaate certain lands as they begin tc
see that it is the cnly way to make then
saleable. The abundant rains in NORTH
Dakota will proven: the necessity ol
starting an irrigation experiment here
although it was intended to do 50 witt
the we'll at the asylum at this place.
Col.Nettleton Wedn'sday made another
examination Of the two artesian wells
here. The pressure Of the city we'll haf
slightly increased since last year, being
81: The flow is slightly less, however
being 461 gallons per minute. There il
not as much sand in the water, owing te
the chamber at the bottom being enlarg
ed. The temperature, 76 degrees, il
rather higher than several South Dakota
wells. The asylum we'll is not as deep az
the city we'll by 42 feet. The reason fol
the decreased flow there IS the tilling oi
the pipe with sand, and insufficient pres.
sure to carry it of. The asylum we'll has
only reached the first stratum, and Col
Nettleton thinks If it is bored lower there
will be found as good supply of water
as IN the city well. The contractors only
agreed to get SO much water per day
which they did. The appropriation was
insufficient to bore any lower at that
time.
Mr.. Follett left Wednesday to examine
the eastern ridge of coteaus from the
state line to the Hawks Nest in Foster
county, to determine what number and
kind Of fresh water springs existed. with
their possibilities for irrigation.