The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-05-04
Irrigation in Southwestern Kansas.

From the Kansas City Gazette.
Our esteemed correspondent in Gar
den City, Kan, whereof he writes, and
nowhere have we read so encouraging
words on irrigation.
We are mistaken about Mr. Trickett's
little reservoir to be filed by wind
mill pump, suppesing the item meant
the ordinary deep upland prairie well,
instead Of a mere hole in the roof of
underflowing creek. Such creeks are
ten times more common in western Kan
sas than those on the surface. The
yard or two of soil over them some
times falls into the channel beneath,
leaving deep little pond Of cold water
as at Sharon Springs, the county seat
of Wallce county. Usually, however.
the channel is full of course sand or
gravel, through which the water pene-
trates. Many times have we dug down
yard or two into such an underfiow
to get water for d few nights camp
ing.
We Were mistaken about Mr.. Trick
etts little reservoir, but April 10 We
said of such site:
wells are usually too deep and have
too little water for prOfitab BILE irriga-
ton. The creeks. however, flow under
ground in shallow ravineS and the
water can be drawn off by covered
fumes, which slope but fifth or a
tenth as much as the underfiow itself.
To pump water from this is not neces-
sary, and to pump it from bored wells
is too costly and too small in quantity
for corn or other grain"
Mr.. Trickett's plan is best, for the
irrigation of d few acres, perhaps, but
by a fiume the water can be nearly all
utilized in the irrigation of many acres,
Thus, in his own, Cheyenne county,
the head stream of the Republican
river and Little and Big Beaver creeks.
might be so tapped.
Why not dam the underf1owlng
stream? Because it runs under the
whole bottom land when the main chan
mel is stopped. Sometimes, however,
q place can be found where it will not,
and together dam the might extend
from bluff to bluff if they came near to-
gether.
Ouu Garden City friend furnishes
some valuable Information as follows:
This would not be impossible at all
for ordinary farm purposes, but with
an eight, ten or twelve inch pump dis
charging two or three gallons at a
stroke, and so to 100 gallons per min
ute, 1T is not only possible but has been
in practical operation in Finney county
for several years. With such a pump
a reservoirs is indispensable to prevent
wasting water, and also to provide q
home for the thousands of fish that our
farmers are raising. There are over 100
a reservoir is indispensable to prevent
where the water supply is ample as IL
is almost all over western Kansas, es-
pecially in the valley, every farmer
should have good one, and then on
the calmest days of summer he viii be
well fortified and the crops assured.
There are thousands of acres of uniIn-
proved lands all over western Kansas
that can be purchased at from 81 70 SO
per acre, where an abundant water sup
ply can be had at depth of from six
to twenty feet, and with an irrigation
plant such as / have described, farm
erS are independent and twenty acres
is ample for a home, where a family
can provide all the neceSsaries Of life
and many of the luxuries. In fact, this
is the ideal farm life under which the
Mormans Of Utah have been so pros
porous. Under this system a single
section Of $40 acres will support popu-
lation of over $50 souls, where each
family can have a COW, a horse or two,
som epigs, an orchard, garden. etc. To
do this, however, something else besides
corn, wheat and oats must be grown.
The farmer should have ten acres at
least of alfalfa, which produces annual
~ from three to five tons of excellent
feed per acre under irrigation. The
balance OF the little farm should be
planted to potatoes, cabbage, celery,
etc for which there is always d good
market, reserving Of course, two Or
three acres for orchard and small fruit
This is no fancy picture. but simply
an illustration of what flnney county
farmers are doing. and l have no hesi-
tation in saying that there is no bet
ter place than this much abused and
misunderstood western Kansas for Sc
curing cheap and absolutely reliable
farm homes When the people Of the
cities interested in building NJ a bet
ter market, fully realize the facts. the
metropolitan press viii be more ready
TO praise the country than II has been
TO abuse and misrepTesent Y.
Respectfully, a W. STUDIES.
Garden City, Kan, April -.
The Cleveland Doctrine.