The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1896-03-20
IRRIGATION.
RI r. Hunters Address Before the
Kedtield Convention.


The following is an extract from an
interesting and practical address de-
livered by lion. III. + Hunter hctoie
the recent irrigation convention at
Redtield He said:
.ir speaking this subject l viii confne my
self to the results obtained On the Hunter -S1lzer
farm at Mellette As most OF You aware,
conducted an experimental station there during
the past season with most satisfactory result; Il
fact we we're ali surprised at the wonderful sue
Of the experiment. We find that all kinds
Of grtins. vegetables, grasses and forage plants
usually grown in iflinois. Iowa. wisconsin or
Minnesota be grown NEST succsSSfnlEy here.
With irrigation snre of as large cren
ev,ry year they are In their best season, a1
find in travelling through these states that they
have their poor years MS Well as Dakota Inc
|. ld used for the experiment has not been lrrt-
gated since the fhli OF lStf, ana mas n'alhsa
p'enty Of moisture since thus showing thai t Is
possible to grow two good crops with one april-
cation of water. This is where we have a great
advantage countries where they have to irri-
gate several times Zach Our black ham
and clay suhtoil holds the moisture long time,
have sutdra mage aud our esaperatlng
SCI son is short. one piece OF land irrigated In
the fall of 1898 produced 80 bushels Of oats IN
1894 and "a bushels Of wheat in 1895. last fall
it pioued M nice and moist and l expect will
grow good crop Of potatoes in lSsib without irrl-
eating. The fact is, if we have any moisture in
our snhsoil, We have rain enough to grow crop
eve.y year
The result of irrigation the past 81
bushels of wheat per acre, lSla bushels Of oats,
10 bushels OF potatoes tons Of miet. Corn
yielded only 80 bushels. Mere late in plant
inE and most af IL got frosted early IN the tali.
ilnirrgated wheat Nlrded - bushels oats -
bushels earn 10 bushels, millct hall ton, l@-
tatoes GO bushels. TN. largest yield Of wheat
the farm 3Ith bushels the in
lSsei, ii being irrigated ahout tho time il began
g hcad. The smallest yield was - bushels in
1s.ta. on Land irrigated in the fall of 1891 attS
this farm IL 1874 averaged ito bushels per
tran fall irrigation, In e..l they irrigated:
iarins III. growing season and averaged 1ss
bushels h.licse tfs.tt the WELD Of 10th wheat
and cats would have hten larger If had used
= bushels of wheat and -, bushels Of oats.
sSItit tlfE
~ rft-atiha them when in blossom. Whfes
should be run between the rows and not aii"ael
e 81 nfon The vines. They sheald H. cultivated
as soon Is possible after applying The water u
prevent the land from Taking. As irrigation PRO
longs their growth late varieties should he planted
early 10 mature before the fall frosts
The SINE conditions apply 10 corn. II should
not he irrigated late in the season and early VA
ri.ties should be used believe in fall irriga
Aon for grain, aftes it is up high enough
shade the ground Potatoes and All hoed
crops should b irrigated during the growing
results
Irrigation is longer an experiment IN South
Dakota. Our farm Of SEQ arcres will pay Ter
cent on q valuation Of SEQ per acre. II mere
thau paid it the past season Ten dollars per
acre will put our prairie lands under most eem-
Iete system OF irrigation. There is Waier
ii South Dakota to-day than there farmers
who know how to IT, and many will fail to
spread the water over much land the first wear
They must he discouraged Ny advice Is to
build good reservoir first. then make diehes
needed. Arrange crops TO always have Land u
ase The water on. Keep the we'll going nlGbt and
day. Every time you have good head II "ater
IN he reservoir spread il on the land don't ply
any attention tc rains DO not irrigatc the same
piece Of land twice until yon have gone tear
whole farm. After Won have irrigated f"ld
once It is much easier to DO 50 the second time
because yGu know how TO handle the water ana
the land does not require much To rot 'ry
to spread the water unless yoa have a COED ssit,
ply in the reservoir to work with Make i large
orcning IL the ditch and rsh the water a,er mi
held. This IS the secret Of successful irrigation
N level land.