The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-09-06
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Tbs Old Quaker Discovery Nay Prove Of Vast
Importance to Western trrigators.

Filling Up Washout IN a Field Thes
UnconseiousIy Created Natural Irriga
tien Ditch and Caused Living Spring
to Well Forth.
Since the disastrous crop failures Of
1893 1894 turned the minds Of Sherman
county farmers to irrigation as last
resort, many different methods have
been tried and found to have proven
successful. But as yet the undertoE
ditch has been overlooked, although its
possibilities rank next to the pumping
plant as a means Of retaining the vast
areas OF semi-arid lands Of the west.
Nearly half-century ago a colony Of
Quakers aceidentlyma living spring
and a blind, or undertow, irrigation
ditch that is destined to lead TO grand
results when once adoptedon the water.
sheds of the middle west.
The peace-loving and industrious
Quakers had been long vexed at deep
ditch in their fields, and in order to
stop the wash the ditch was filed with
brush and broken bricks and rocks
we're thrown onto the brush to weigh il
down. The whole was then covered
with dirt and left without further
notice. When spring came what was
supposed to be a wet-weather spring
Ind broken through the soil at the
s mouth of the covered ditch, but attrae-
! n ted little attention. As the summer
lar wore away and the dry weather came
. the spring continued to flow, its waters
clear and cool from the reservoir along
the glled-up ditch. The spring proved
perpetual and was turned to use 10
watering stock.
When fall came and the crops ma
{ tured it was noticed that the growths
had been much greater along and near
the covered ditch than at other places
Back water from the ditch had supplied
moisture to the growing crops in the
soil above, hence the extra growth.
The above accidental incidents fur
nlshed the starting point for what is
now know as undertow irrigation.
There are thousands of farms in SheF-
e man county that have a natural wash
b way running across them which could
g be easily transformed into a Quaker
3 ditch and reservoir that would success
!. fully iFrigate large tracts and do away
II with the damage resulting from surface
~ washing. These bitches could be con-
81 struoted at very light expense, as in
II many instances the rains have already
d dug the bitches, leaving only the labor
= of leveling and filling up to change an
q nnsightiy blot into an ideal irrigating
. ditch and storage reservoir.
d This system Of conserving storm
ri waters is in many respects, If not all
superior to dams, as the water is at
" once put into the soil and loss by evap-
:, Grafton greatly decreased, and the dan
no ger from dams giving away, causing
o. loss of both water and crops, entirely
II done away with.
ths From the main ditch laterals can be
sa run sufficient to cover enough land to
- consume the supply of water that now
Il flows off, doing no good and very often
81 much damage.
by How to Build the Ditch.
- Having determined the right place
/ i.-gto begin operations a point is selected
e lnear the head of the draw or waterway
1t 9from which the water is to be procured
Begin the ditch in the depression down
10 which the water usually runs after a
di rain, Dig narrow ditch on level in
80 the middle of this drain until the upper
end is from three to eight feet below
Id the surface of ground at the lower end
tn Of the ditch. The bottom should be
abe level, as the ditch is not made to drain
nus the land, but to hold the water. The
1ir bottom of the ditch should be treated
fnl much the same as a storage reservoir
cod either tTamped or covered with some
pie preparation that will hold water. Then
coarse sand, gravel, broken rock, brick
or einders should be put in to the
- depth Of from 10 to a inches, this to be
IN covered with layer of dirt and we'll
"a tramped to keep the spaces through
i which the water flows from filling up.
The ditch must then be filed up and
leveled off. At the lower end dam
~ 81 is put across TO hold the water and
NE catch the surface washings. The later
ecu ais should be constructed in the same
,ne, manner, but on a smaller scale.
bef II the water is to be used for stock OF
TER household purposes as we'll as iFriga.
rs ting, pipe should be placed at the
- dam end of the ditch, having a sand
q point on the end connecting with the
nle waterway. The sand point should be
TIE well covered with gravel which serves
3. as filter. A faucet can be put on the
=, = other end OF the pipe so as to stop the
flow of water when not needed.
This method of irrigation should
nh meet with favor from those who have
do lands lying at the mouth of arryos or
s. on rolling lands, as it is superior to the
, ! pumping plant and common drainage
ssn reservoir inasmuch as it does away with
~ the labor connected with surface irri,
has cation, and the ditch once constructed
he is permanent.
: Irrigated From Pin.HOie Leak,
IA For those who may be skeptical as to
ms the water percolating any distance by
- ub.irrigatiOn from undertow bitches il
sur Il may be we'll to cite an incident that
came under the observation of several
ta5 citizens of Goodland during the sum.
g 1893, a season noted for its pauoity of
ln rainfall and crops On the Beahm adj
- tfition q particular, spot about 60 feet
nan IN diameter, presented marked con.
on tFest TO the surrounding prairie, as on
can the spot in question the buffalo grass
e had made an enormous growth and was
.etl5 SIS green as a well kept lawn while the
grass adjacent, SO brown and scared
1 s bespoke long weeks Of parching drouth
.eE and fever heat. The oasis attracted the
oobB. attention of the water commissioner
es :gho suspected big leak and set out
81 TO repair it. Digging down he found
Y the ground about the main thoroughly
& soaked with water and the leak so small
that pin inserted in the hole of the