Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-11-15
ARTEsIAN IRRIGATION.
An Interesting Resume of the Changes
1t Has Wrought in South Dakota.

1t Has Wrought in South Dakota.
The subject of artesian irrigation is
one of great interest to every agricul-
tural country, where, occasionally, de-
ficient rainfall interferes with a GER
tainty of crops. It is an acknowledged
fact that with sufficient moisture, no
agricultural country in the world can
complete with the Dakotas for amount
and quality of crops. 1t is evident,
therefore, that with the deficiency of
moisture corrected by %ariifce the agri-
cultural problem is successfully solved.
South Dakota has come to this con-
clusion, and appears to have solved the
problem in many individual cases. The
state, in places, is honey-combed with
artesian wells. So valuable an addition
to agriculture are they, that farms
which were not many years ago given
up as Improbable, are now made garden
spots Of beauty and wealth and veget-
able growth.
There is the same opportunity in
North Dakota to irrigate by means of
artesian wells. It is no longer an ex-
pertinent, but a certainty. And it may
be of interest, in this matter, to set
forth a few brief results of irrigation
in South Dakota. The Dakota Farmer
an agricultural paper published at
Aberdeen, publishes this month, a
special edition of $4,000, devoted solely
to irrigation. There are articles set
forth, from Senator Pettigrew. Governor
Sheldon, various other officials, presi-
dents of universities, state biologists,
and other persons who have watched the
progress of artesian irrigation. There
are also views of a'number Of the wells
about the state, and letters from differ
ent farmers, who have wells upon their
land. One farmer who irrigated a corn
field says:
Have never seen such a corn field in all
the days of my life. 1t looks like a forest.
Some OF the stalks are ten feet high and as
thick through as IL mans arm. I think at
a very conservative estimate that;l will get
seventy-ive bushels. to the acre from the
field as a whole. Others who have seen it
place the yield as high as 100. I spread
the water over my hay land and my hay
IS simply magnificent. 1 had aIka1i hay
that stond five feet four inches high, and
cut blue joint and red top that went four
tons to the acre.
Another speaks of his experience in
general gardening as. follows:
Irrigated a piece of millet which yielded
four ons per acre; 1000 dozen ears of sugar
corn Per acre. l took from a little less
than one acre of ground between 5000 and
1000 squash; pumpkins, about 1000 to
$500; beets, $500 bushels per acre. l
marketed this season $50 worth Of cab
bage from fifteen square rods. Melons
produced at the rate OF 8 600 per acre.
Still another says:
Three acres OF onions yielded 1900
bushel-, two n a half acres of cabbage
gave me $4,000 heads. Then l had two
acres of sweet corn, II acres of squash, IL
acres Of melons, a acre of beets, cucum-
bers, etc, 8 acres of potatues which yielded
100 bushels to the acre.
These are bona.fide experiences in the
irrigated districts. It is estimated that
$4,000 will put 1000 acres of land under
a thorough system of irrigation, and sc
irrigated, the land will render itself
worth $50 an acre, from the results OBJ.
tanned. In some parts of the state, arti
fetal lakes have been brought about,and
stocked successfully with fish. Indeed
the whole state has been metamor.
phosed through the artesian vel
medium.