The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-12-14
WILL lRRIGATE NEXT SUMMER
A Letter From a Nebrasksn Who
Will Come to Sherman County,
HAS GREAT FAITH IN IRRIGATION
The Following Letter to NJ. B. FOmbiiE
VIII Be of Interest to Sherman
COUntyites.


COuntyites.
The following interesting letter from
R. D. Ross of University Place, Neb.,
to Mr.. NJ. B. Tomblin of this city,
shows to what extent the interest in
Sherman county irrigation has spread:
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Neb., Dec Your
favor to Mr.. A. E. Brewer at Havelock,
Neb., was shown me about the time he
received it. The information you at
forded us was in all respects far more
favorable than we had expected. The
ultimate redemption of the west must
come, I believe, through some definite
and practical plan of irrigation. TOfbe
satisfied today with the production,
merely of enough buffalo grass to keep
a few scrubby stock alive is altogether
and completely out of the question,
We must embark, therefore, into a
method of small farming that is more
practical and more certain of definite
results than can possibly be obtained
by our present necessarily slovenly
and dependent methods. I believe that
windmills furnish the cheapest and
most practical power for providing
growing crops with water. The wind
mill irrigator is to all appearances so
utterly independent that his occupa-
ton becomes intensely attractive and
it seems to me that there is apparently
no reason why, providing the under
ground water supply is abundant, the
farmer with two or possibly three wind
mills should not secure by their means
an ample and permanent livelihood.
1t is the present intention of Mr.
Brewer and myself to engage in this
work and to experiment in a small way
in their line during the coming sum
mer. As neither of US have had any
experience whatever in the line Of irri-
cation farming we must depend some
what largely on the experience of our
friends who have experimental some
in their line of work. We therefore
ask you to kindly answer the following
/ questions briefly, giving US whichever
information your judgment dictates,
In my correspondence with the Chal-
lenge Windmill company they inform
me that in some places they have eX-
perienced great difficulty in irrigation
because of the ground being SO loamy
| that the water would not spread but
would soak into the soil too rapidly. I
hardly think that such would be the
case with your soil as when l was in
Goodland some Is months ago it seem
ed to me that the soil strongly Fesem-
bled that of eastern Nebraska with the
exception possibly of being somewhat
more gritty and coarser. Your expert
ence may warrant an expression upon
this subject.
Has alfalfa been tried under iTiga-
ton in your vicinity to your know
ledge?
Are there houses in Goodland hand
ling the leading makes Of windmills
and pumping machinery?
Could we put up a windmill in the
spring and irrigate four or five acres
the first season providing, Of courses
that the mill be the size and power
that our leading windmill manufactur-
ers recommend.
How largely do you ordinarily make
your storage basin for such purposes?
Any information which you may give
US upon this subject will be thankfully
received. My land is about two miles
southea st of GoOdland. To be definite
| it is the southeast quarter of section
-. The country about your city is to
all appearances the finest I have ever
seen for newly settled region and l be-
lieve that ultimately, despite the great
drouth that has caused so much suffer-
ing, privation and discomfort, it will
support a reasonably Well-tO-do and
contented population. Hoping shall
receive an early reply and thanking
you for your former courtesy, l am
very TesDertfuliV. r d. Ross.