The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-12-28
The Irrigation Conference.


ford of Julesburg gave his experience
with irrigation by means of windmill:
and reservoirs. A good reservoir car
be built by banking up the sod, turn
ing in the water and allowing stock tc
tramp down the we ground. 1t will
soon hold water as well as if cemented.
He did not think water could be pump
ed with profit if raised more than fifty
feet, and he believed that pumping wa
ter was too expensive for practical
farming of more than ten II twenty
acres. All kinds of soil cannot be
handled the same way, and each man
must determine for himself how his
land should be treated. In raising po-
tatoes the water should be run by the
side of and below the potato, rather
than on top of them.
Mr.. Benson of McCook said he had
had a great deal of experience with al
falfa, and had raised hundreds of acres
with irrigation, but with only ten to
thirty feet of water. He cautioned
people not to sow more than an acre
the first year as an experiment.
w. r. Akers of SCOTS Bluffs county
said alfalfa and stock were the most
profitable things a farmer could raise,
and would not sow over fifteen pounds
per acre.
Silas Clark of Cottonwood Springs
spoke on Construction of Canals by
Farmers and Farmers Companies" He
said the farmers were digging a ditch
in his neighborhood and had organized
with a capital of S1CO, OO0. Farmers
had the privilege of subscribing for
stock in amounts not to exceed $500,
but must work that out before getting
any more. That stock represents moth
ing but water, and all the work is paid
for in stock. Excavation is let at 10
cents per yard. The canal will irrigate
IS, 900 acres.
w. r. Akers, senator-elect from
SCOTS Bluff county, showed how the
subject had grown in favor in Nebraska
and emphasized the fact thai there was
an abundant water supply to irrigate
the whole state, and itcould be utilized
much better than in the states of Col
orado or Wyoming. He also spoke
strongly in favor of farmers building
and owning their own bitches, instead
of turning the work over to a syndicate
of capitalists. Akers has Deer drafting
a bill which he proposes to introduce in
the senate this winter. and outlined it
to the convention. 1t has some features
of the Wyoming irrigation law and
some of California. He said there were
two kinds of irrigation necessary. One
was known as flooding and the other as
furrow. The first was for small grain
and the last for potatoes and crops
planted in rows. No general rule could
be applied to irrigation, as it depended
on the soil, slope of the land, and crops,
but each man would have to expert
ment and determine what was best for
his own case.
Mr.. Reese of Falls City gave his ex-
pe-ience with irrigation in the south
eastern part of the state, and said he
was satisfied there was plenty of water
under the surface of Nebraska to irri-
gate the whole state, and man has ac-
complished many greater difficulties
than retaining this land. He also ex-
tended a cordial invitation from the
city council of Falls City for the next
meeting of the state irrigation conven-
ton with them. He hoped the next
would appoint a special COM
mittee to investigate and draft suitable
In his opinion prairie fires were
a great damage to the soil, and advoca-
ted turning over the buffalo sod and
up the drains, as this would
all help to moisten the atmosphere and
produce rainfall. Windmills can be
used successfully if allowed to run all
day and night, and he had known one
man to irrigate twenty acres in this
manner, but the best and most salts
factory way was by means of reservoirs
or bitches. A good plan would be for
days to be set aside by a com
for blowing days, or, as he
it, 'damming days"
Judge Emery, national lecturer. said
that this semi-arrid region needed irri-
as much as the arid regions far
west, as there was just rainfall
enough here to bring farmers to this
but not enough to make crops a
sure thing, hence the suffering and
which we are now experience
.ng. With irrigation and small tracts
Of say twenty to forty acres, more peo-
pie could be accommodated and better
success would result. In fact, the ten
of those most familiar with irriga-
ion is to the fact that it is more prac-
.ical for small tracts than for large
,nes.
E. r. Moses of Great Bend, Kansas,
some of his experiences with
irrigation and cited several instances
where poor men had come out west and
with irrigation and small tracts of land
accumulated a competency.
The convention closed this evening
an address by President Fort, re-
marks by d. w. Campbell of Denver,
Representative John Brady, and an in
.ormal questioning of different speak
rs. President Fort spoke of the
lbundant and unfailing supply of water
called the underfiow and
aid that it was sufficient to irrigate at
east three-fourths of the entire state;
hat all kinds of soil, except heavy
lay, and all kinds of farm crops could
,e irrigated with profit. The conven-
ion passed resolutions thanking Mr..
Fort for the manner in which he had
and conducted the convention
nd to the citizens of kearney for their
lospitable entertainment.
The following officers were elected
or the ensuing year: President, ]. A.
'ort, North Platte: secretary, A. g.
Volfenbarger. Lincoln: treasurer, Jas.
Custer &C. and NJ. Ger
ng of Gering. c. 3. wage, Sergeant;