The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1896-05-29

For the enlightenment and cncour
aRcment Of those seeking knowledge
on practical irrigation, | present the
thoughts and Information that have
come 10 me by personal observation
and experience in this part OF the arid
district.
am located on the south side Of the
North Platte river, In SCOTS Bluff
county. about thirty-fiyc miles down
the river from the Wyoming line. ]
settled here In 1883, before the days Of
irrigation. /. In common with my
ncighbors, pretty thoroughly tried
farming without irrigation. Occasion
ally we raised some crops, generally
we produced but little, and frequently
we had nothing 90 show for our effort.
We soon became convinced that farm.
ing here, without irrigation was fail
urc. and concluded 10 try irrigation.
With us II was work of necessity, a
clear case of root hog, or die We
formed the Castle Rock Irrigation Ca
nal company, and have constructed a
canal about seventeen miles long, forty
eight feet wide ON the bottom, carrying
about three feet In depth Of water, and
covering about 1000 acres OF land that
IL easily irrigated, and possibly one.third
more Of uneven land that can be irri.
gated with more effort. We had but
little money, and the completion Of the
canal II chiefly the product Of labor OF
our own hands.
II was In 1898 that amy part OF said
canal was 30 completed that any water
could be used for irrigation, and then
only two or three persons derived any
benefit. All the crops planted that
year did well. The crops consisted OF
wheat, oats, corn, potatoes md other
vegetables. The result was so satisfac-
tory that all the projectors were great
~ encouraged TO push the work. Late
In the spring Of 1894 the work was so
far advanced that n few more farmers
used water. had In crop OF oats,
| barley. potatoes, alfalfa, and yegct-
ables, all Of which wet up, and, though
late Ia the season did well. My alfalfa
was cut for hay In the spring, and u
second crop saved for seed. ! had ten
bushels of good clean seed per acre,
for which realized about o cents per
pound. My oats yielded, where wet
/ about forty bushels per acre. All my
neighbors who got the use of water
| that season had satisfactory crops In
| 1895 the canal was 10 nearly complet.
ed that quite number of farmers were
able 10 obtain water There was speak
| ing approximately, about 200 acres OF
crops In cultivation, consisting Of wheat,
oats, corn, barley. potatoes and all
kinds Of vegetables grown In this part
OF the country. All OF which was gen
orally satisfactory. had ON my place
about twenty acres OF oats, twelve OF
which think produced seventy-hvc
bushels per ncre. and eight acres on
first blowing. about forty bushels per
acre. The grain weighs about forty
six pounds per measured bushel. All
kinds of vegetables on my farm were
Of good quality, and OF satisfactory
yield. The part OF alfalfa that | cut
three times made fully five tons Of eN.
cellcnt hay per acre. ] saved about
seventeen acres for seed but for some
cause II failed 20 make seed When
saw II would not prove satisfactory for
seed / cut Il for hay. II was IA heavy
yield OF coarse hay-not so good as 4
Il had been cut in proper season. II will
be noticed that the conditions unde
the Castle Rock canal are all new. and
no graf development has been made
! We could make n much better showing
II there was any encouragement TO dc
so. II Is an easy matter 10 produce al
that can be consumed In this locality
and II does not pay TO produce for the
outside market. We are hfty miles from