The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-21
PERTINENT POINTS ON IRRIGA-


How shall the best results be ob-
tanned? A concise reply would be, by
applying the water intelligently. A
statement from good authority at our
farmers institute warned us against
the use of water when it was too cold.
or colder than the soil, especially on
citrus trees. A point like this once
gained should not be forgotten. The
grain, grass, vegetables and trees
may each call for its application In
separate ways. Different soils call for
different applications, and different
spaces of time between applications.
If your soil is loose, you may use a
larger quantity at time and less
length of time. If your soil is COM
pact, or your land falls off rapidly, you
will get far better results by using just
water enough to keep the entire length
of burrows absorbing water, and con-
tinue the stream twenty-four or forty
I eight hours. If you are irrigating veg
etables, less time will suffice than II
you are to force the water down to
tree roots. At the same time you
must allow for exhaustion by evapora-
ton sooner, even under good cultiva-
ton, than when forced deeply into the
soil. By actual test have proved that
trees made by far better growth, even
in loose soil, where water was run
twenty-four hours slowly, after the
soil is first wet, than where it was
abundantly applied for a few hours.
In sinking hole where water had run
for twenty-four hours a. week previous,
I found the soil quite wet to depth
of four feet. [ know not how much
farther down it was moist.
I believe that cultivation is a twin
sister to irrigation. Neither can no
all the work properly, but unitedly it
may be accomplished. When to cult
vate; how deep and how often, are
questions we'll worth considering.
I would guard against too much sur
face irrigation on clay or heavy soil
where alfalfa or anything equally ten
der is seeded, that cannot be properly
fcultivated. Just how much they will
stand or need, required exercise of
Judgment. A heavy rain prevents grain
from springing up; a flooded surface
would naturally act worse on smaller
seeds.
1 believe that here are specific times
to greatly increase their production.
am informed that a, heavy rain
fall in November or December will in
sure g, heavy yield of grapes in the
north and middle of this state where
they do not irrigate. flso, that IN
abundance Of water applied in Octo-
Der or November will almost insure a
heavy budding Of fruit of the prune.
thereby laying foundation for
coming crop. The practical fruit
grower can go farther and state when
and how much water to use to mature
different fruits to advantage. The
growing of alfalfa seems simple, yet
no two fields produce the same amount.
The soil differs, but no more than the
minds of the owners. 1t is no trick
to grow from two to three tons per
acre on light soil by using sufficient
water after cutting. Heavier soil will
light, but it is safe after your field is
we'll rooted to use all the water you
can get, and your profits will be great
ly increased thereby
Arizona, with but a Scant rainfall, is
dependent on irrigation. Her broad
rivers are turned from their courses
to water her fertile soil. Her system
of distributing the water is crude
with level land and abundance of
water it is flooded from bitches. What
results from it? She has not only
heavy fields of alfalfa, but of barley
and wheat for hay, and today she is
selling bright barley hay for $40 per
ton. Deducting freight and bailing,
the producer will not receive half of
this price. and yet they are satisfied,
willing to compete with the dry
ranching of ou, state, their yield being
so much heavier per acre.
Those who have made a practical
test of irrigation for growing hay
crops in our vicinity are satisfied with
the results. Another link closely con-
nected with tree and shrub irrigation
where cultivation is inconvenient or
too laborious, is mulching with ma
terlal that is we'll rotted, if possible
BY test am convinced that a limited
amount of water will do double service
under mulching, besides saving much
Iaoor with hoe or spade-By F. j.
F,ogg in paper read before the PERKS
(Cal) Horticultural club.