Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-09-06
Irrigation in Kansas.

The matter of supplying water to
growing crops in almost every part of
Kansas by artificial means is, it seems
to the writer. of such vast Importance
that it should be made the subject of
constant investigation until a large
share of the water beneath the surface
can be brought to the top of the ground
and used to the financial benefit of the
agrIculburaliSts of the state. In ali
probability, in some localities the water
is so far below the surface that to raise
it to the top of the earth and make it
profitable, is, with our present stock of
knowledge, entirely out of the question.
But there are, / understand, very few
if any counties in the state, where. on
some part of many quarter sections.
fair supply of water cannot be had at
depth of forty feet; and it is claimed
that water can be raised with the gas
and other irrigating pumps from the
above, and even greater depths at a
profit. One pump will, it is almost
certain, raise water sufficient to irri-
gate ten to fifteen acres of land in the
dryest part of the state. This being
true. it will pay four ffths of the farm
ers of the state to have at least one
plant on his farm. 1t can be put up
for less than 5000, outside of the farm
er's own labor in constructing his res
ervoir. which he can do with two
horses, a plow and an ordinary road
Scraper.
The reservoir is to be Quilt by scrap
ing the soil up into ridge or bank, say
four to five feet high. But in doing so.
it is not meant to get much of the dirt
from the bottom of the reservoir. The
surface dirt only, to the depth of the
native sod. is to be Scraped off, and
may be used on the outer surface or
side of the banks. but not in the bot
tom of the banks, as it will not hold
water. The size of the reservoirs. as
have seen them about Garden City, will
average from seventy-fve to eighty feet
square, think.
Let US see what crops can be grown
with almost absolute certainty on
twelve acres of irrigated land, all by
| the use of one mill and one pump:
Five acres of alfalfa, five acres OF oats,
one fourth acre of cabbage, three
| fourths of an acre of Irish potatoes,
and one acre of all the different garden
vegetables, small fruits and vegetables
peculiar to the climate of Kansas. The
alfalfa. at the moderate yield of four
| tons to the acre, will give the farmer
twenty tons of fine hay for his stock,
besides quantity of seed which always
commands remunerative price. The
| oats, although not a profitable crop for
the market, will give him, at the low
estimate of thirty bushels per acre, 15O
bushels of oats, besides several tons of
good straw. Add to all this the pOta-
toes and all other vegetable and fruits
| that can be grown Oh Two acres OF
ground, and the farmer will be hard to
starve out. But the program can be
/ changed so as to render his situation
still more impregnable. Let him raise
five acres of corn instead of this
amount of oats. and, at forty bushels
per acre, he has 200 bushels Of sound
corn, besides the fodder. With twelve
acres thus farmed, as an almost abso-
lutte certainty, added to what can ordi-
narily be raised on the balance of the
farm, and two thirds of Kansas can
be truthfully called the finest aud most
successful agricultural district, either
great or small, in the known world.
In the foregoing estimate no eXtrav-
agant figures have been INDUCED in,
but, on the contrary, an under estimate
of fully one third will be found to be
true, when the matter is fully tested
Our lands for the most part being the
most fertile in the world, will produce
in corresponding degree with the re-
quired amount of moisture, and proper
cultivation. But, in addition TO what
1 have stated. 1 will add that [ am fully
convinced that where the farmer is able
financially to- have an irrigating plant
to water not only his growing crops on
a small scale, as herein described. but
also irrigate his orchard, it will make
his fruit larger, more juicy and more
perfect in every respect, besides his
trees will be harder and live longer
&c. BOHRER, in Kansas Farmer.