Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-03-11
HOW ABOUT IRRIGATION
Surveyor Romig Answers for Central
Kansas.

Kansas.
How abont irrigaticnP To thi
greeting frequently encountered OF
the street corners, more notably
when the clouds are drifting rain, w
have this for an answer:
So far as central Kansas is concern
ed irrigation is not dead, but tempo
rarily in a state Of innocuous desue
tude, lulled to sleep by the copious
rains Of last summer and by the i'm
preston that we have passed the the
period Of drouth and have crossed the
threshold OF a cycle Of wet and pros
porous seasons; and in this semi.
comatose state we are likely to con-
tinue until another period Of drouth
and another series Of crop failures
shall stir the sluggish blood and force
q reluctant admission that ours is 9
semi-arid climate, doubtful Of rainfall
and problematical as to crop results,
where dry farming is lottery and
needs the supplement Of a wind pump
and reservoir irrigation plant Of one
to five or more acres, sufficient in it.
self to support the family in comfort;
and possible on Is per cent Of the
farms in central Kansas.
Notwithstanding the abundant rains
OF last summer there were intervals
Of drouth when plant life, made ten
der by rapid growth, became thirsty,
rapidly deteriorated and sometimes
persisted; at such periods those of
our farmers who used their plants TO
meet the demand for water and main
tanned uniform, uninterrupted
growth throughout the season were
well repaid for their labor and demon
strated the value Of their plants in
wet as well as dry seasons.
Mr.. Whitlaw of Abilene had So
acres thus treated and harvested 200
bushels of potatoes and 500 bushels Of
onions per acre. Ed Yeaden reports
like satisfactory results. Both these
gentlemen will enlarge the area of
their plants for 1897.
The incomplete and unsatisfactory
effort of the state commission to de-
velop the underfow in western Kan
sas, together with numerous individ-
ual failures for want Of experimental
knowledge have much to do with the
present stagnation and are largely
responsible for the excuse, the oppor-
tunity and the ammunition furnished
pessimists, skeptics, antagonists and
croakers to fire their phillipics and
disparagements at the men who are
laboriously trying to solve the prob.
lem OF successful agriculture in dry
climate. To these parties we have
this to say A system Of culture that
has stood the test for more than 4OI
that furnished the basic
foundation for the first and best civil.
ization of the Orient and of the world
is not likely to be abandoned or even
on the condemnation, the
structures or the abortive effort of in
experienced and unadvised Kansas
operatives.
In British India where the annual
rainfall is less than that OF Kansas
and where the underf1ow is quite as
nconvenient, 20 millions Of people
find subsistence by the most primi-
tive methods Of culture. Two men
at well with sweep and ox-hide
bucket spend the entire season on
two acres of ground. They not only
ind sustenance for their families but
Ire accounted men Of substance il so
ortunate as to own the land.
In Holland, Italy and France 70
'ons Of hay or as high as 100 tons of
DOT crops are harvested from sin.
,le acre Of ground in a season. True,
irrigation is not entitled to all the
'redit but these marvellous results
would be utterly impossible without
t. In our own western continent
dormon Utah stands perpetual OBJ +,
ect lesson Of what may be accom-
'lished on small holdings by intense {
arming.