Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-30
1RR1GATIoN1 IN DICKINSON!
An Interesting Description Of a
Thriving Plant.

In the Irrigation Farmer published
at Salina, ex-Postmaster D. r, Gordon
has a signed article descriptive Of a
Dickinson county irrigation plant
that is interesting and instructive.
1t is as follows
With but one exception Dickinson
county's interest in irrigation has
fallen short Of actual experiment. To
VIM. Biesecker is due the credit Of
first investing time and money in a
line Of experimentation upon which
rests the future prosperity Of our
State.
-Four miles northeast Of Abilene he
has invested over $1,000 to show
what our soil will produce II we only
add water to the generous gifts Of
nature. The plant stands on high
ground and in forty rods there is a
drop Of eight feet. Last autumn Mr..
Biesecker built pond that covers !
acre and is eight feet deep. The bot
tom was cemented. After almost
completing tho pemcnting it was
found that few head of horses tied
close together would stamp the
ground so hard that cement was not
needed, A direct acting Morse pump
and Q 7 horse power ongine we're put
IN But the early advent Of dry
weather made it impossible to fill tho
pond, So for this year tho supply is
limited TO direct pumping. The
pump supplies about $50 bbls. in ten
hours, The well Is 90 feet dppp
When the pump runs all night II
drops to ll0 feet. There are two
veins of water and the supply has
never failed. This winter Mr..
Biesecker will drill in hope of finding
a vein that will come little nearer
the surface. His method of distrihut.
ing the water is by means Of bitches,
traced with hoe.
From the pump to the garden is
sixteen rods. OF course the loss by
evaporation and seepage is large
factor.
On q hot, dry afternoon he failed to
molstcn bis last hill Of potatoes 40
rods from the pump in three hours.
On q more humid day he accom-
plished the same end in one hour.
Mr.. Biesecker now has II acres
under cultivation. He can irrigatp
about four acres Next year, by us
ing the pond and one or two wind
pumps, he expects to irrigate the en-
tire II acres.
Irrigated cabbage looks excellent
while his neighbors have not Il head
left Bunch lima beans are as fine as
We nav o'ci occn' Italc cuttlHlDprs
look fresh and promise a fine crop.
Pop corn which had been blown down
by the dry winds, was revived and
will make q good yield.
Mr.. Biesecker has the only tomatoes
in the neighborhood They look
fresh and green and he is marketing
fine crop. There are nine acres OF
potatoes, three under irrigation. A
marked difference Is noted between
irrigated and unirrigated crop TO
the potato crop Mr.. Bieseckcr looks
for the larger part Of his profit, and
he will not be disappointed. He uses
n corn cultiyator and hoe to cultivate
them. No Ill results are detected
from using the water quite cold. In
two hours he can wet down two feet.
Next year the pond will be stocked
with fish.
Mr.. Biesecker says incxperience
cost him several hundred dallars, and
he Is very anxious to correspond with
others who are interested,
He is a close reader and an accur-
ate observer. The experiment is a
success this year and will be more so
mex year. The farmers are taking
quite an interest and visitors are
numerous.