The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-12-28
Let us Have Practical Irrigation.

as merchantable."
Let rs Have Practical Irrigation.
The following is from correspondent
OF the Pioneer Press writing from Athol
s. D.. and shows the great benefit ar
tesian water will be to the state when
properly applied in sufficient quantities:
One OF the most important questions
before the coming legislature Will De re-
parding the question OF sinking wells for
irrigation and other purposes lhat
there will be a general inclination 10 re-
duce the expense OF the state government
to a minimum, there is no question, yet
there is also determination on the
part of the taxpayers to secure sucn reg
isation as will insure practlcai triai Oh
the artesian well system, both by lrriga-
ton and surface, lake and stream sup
plies so that the theory OF attraction IN
| this manner may be demonstrated
| throughout the artesian belt.
| MThe third biennial report OF the state
engineer OF irrigation is nowln the hands
| OF the printer, and from the proof sheets
| many questions Of interest are deducted.
| Among the many reports OF experiments
| Of irrigation are the following: Lorenna
Buswell OF Condse, Sphinx county, has
! this, his second year, tested a ten acre
/ tract, with the following results: Gar-
| den truck to the amount OF over 81 500
| has been sold, while the expense OF dis
| tributing the water was but $40.
w. O. Bisserund, Cavour, Readle coun-
tv, irrigated nineteen acres Tor when ne
paid the township 81 per acre Tor the
water. Result: Wheat, 32 bushels per
acre; oats, so bushels; onions, 2ou
bushels, and potatoes, unculuvated, %
| bushels. 90
| Alonzo Melville Huron: Wheat, 3S
bushels. oats, 95 bushels; potatoes, 2oO
bushels; millet, tons per acre, Mr. Mel
Vile will irrigate sixty acres next year,
and claims that the extra crops each
wear would pay Tor he sinking oil a Well
each year. J,
The above are only three OF more than
a score OF testimonials published by Mr.
Fassett. Mr.. Fassett states that thee
nense Of a threa-nch well, which would
naturally flow say 900 gallons per
minute. should cost not to exceed fl,-
700. and four and one-half inch well, al
a cost OF about 1000, should lrrigate
from GAO to 900 acres.
One experiment shows that the nov
taken direct from the well, q days now
17l-2 days labor, flooded 100 acres
from 8 to II inches. his year there
have been fifteen wells sunk under tne
law OF 1889, and eighteen under the Ia"
OF 1898, while there have been scores Q
per sonal or individual wells sunk.
There ia no question as to theiuture O.
, South Dakota, provided water supply
!. can be obtained, and there IS also nc
question but an abundance OF water can
. be had over a part OF the territory pro
vidnd means can be obtained to bring i
. to the surface.
, There are many theories as to the bes'
manner to secure such means, but TN
4 general impression is that 1t must o.
done in some manner by the state, ant
nnder state supervision. Take, Tor IN
! stance. the proposition to sink TOUR VEN
: in each township. These wells can o
9 secured at cost OF s. 200 for the iou1
, and hai-inch well in size. Six per cen
: bonds could be foated at par. ana IN
! interest thereon would be less thah -. y !.
q Der quarter section. This water couiu, =
: most sections be used for irrigatlng pur
:, noses. and it could all be run through ra
vines creeks and streams int
i dams. small lakes and the like, ana IN
!, amount OF water on the surface Wouis
attract rainfall, evaporate in deWs ant
kill all the hot winds. 1t would no
:, only increase largely the yield OF graz
Of and grass. but it would also supply a.
:. abundance OF water, which would max
South Dakota the greatest stock grow
'ng state in the Union.
i'his question the farmers have detel
ID to make the one aud all absorb
q before the coming body OF LAY
ration convention which ha
N session at kearney, Neb
d much valuable inform'
,ious irrigation processe
select rs follows, as 0.
resting to farmers
n Stafford, OF julie
fonce with irrig'
'mills and rese
he said, ca
sod, turnil
stock
It wi
Nnente
2um