The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-03
6O-62 West 23d Street.
ARTESI1N ALTON.
A Successful Method or RecIaiminE semi-Arld
Land In south Dakota.

A Successful Method or Retaining semi.Arld
Land In south Dakota.
From the Chicago Record.
CHAMBERLAIN, 8. D., Oct. 26.-The results of
irrigation tho past season in South Dakota have
been very gratifying, and demonstrate that the
scmi. arid portions of the State by this means
can be made as productive as any part Of the
Northwest. There are two distinct methods of
irrigation in this State-canals which receive
their supplies of water from tho spring frcshots
and from the overflow Of rivers, and canals
whose water is obtained from a~rtcsian wells.
The ~artcsian basin underlies nearly the whole
Of that portion of South Dakota lying east OF
the Missouri River, and hundreds of ~artesian
wells have been sunk throughout this vast
region. In the southern part of eastern South
Dakota there are numerous two-inch and three
inch artesian wells which were sunk at nominal
cost. Many of them are from 100 to 400 foet
in depth. From 100 to 400 feet in the southern
part OF the State, the depth Of the ~artesian basin
varies to 1000 or 1900 in the northern por-
ton. Some of the two-nch and three-inch
section cost less than 800, and furnish sur.
fcient water to irrigate large tracts Of land.
Further north it is necessary to go deeper to
reach the artesian basin, and in consequence
tho wells are Of greater diameter, varying from
four to eight inches. Brule county has thirty.
many millions of gallons in twenty-four hours.
A number Of wells were sunk by the townships
for irriSating purposes without the unanimous
consent of the taxpayers OF each township. The
surplus OF water is carried away in bitches and
affords an abundance of water for cattle, sheep,
horses. and other farm animals. These, bitches
Of running water, aggrcgating several hundred
OF the county. Other wells are used for power
purposes. while still others were sunk for irri-
This season about $1,000 acres wore irri-
gated in the county. Among the notable irri-
gated farms In Brnl6 &c, county g are the Carpenter
capitalist. and containing moro than two sec.
tions of land. and the J. N, Greene farm of GAO
success thus far. and next season will engage in
iri~ iaation on a still larger scale. The pioneer
Hunter.saizer farm, which has been raised to a
high state of perfection.
prairie land. The artesian we'll has an eight
inch pipe down, to sand rock. There the diam.
ster . was Eedq hssIn, and do 3 s fsa, Ss,6 pipe sb reaches sShfac to
The normal flow Of the well is 1000 gallons q
minute, sufficient to irriRate a tract Of l.200
dueed to a flow Of 7so gallons a minute The
IS $ s,5oo was AT put present. aeMn prices s,s sf It wo SsiSdl e ena G nos
more than $4,000.
oo AdjHeen dv to the well is > a SirsulSr 5cs SCI ,hs
highest point. Of the farm, at an elevation OF
two and q half feet; Three feet to the mile is
banks of the, reservoir are formed, by earth.
thrown to a height of five and one-half feet-
feet Vide at tn the top The e"i inside Ids'' OF the he vail
thus formed has a slope of two feet to ono. The
fnsea ori Tt snG c fssef of the Is reserSoEr, ali TfI work sioP By
the day, was $3.50. The cost of rip-rapping was
about abf y $Goo t IL addition = TIC as the !" stone to a ,i had iat to b be q
the farm or on adjoining land an expenditure
of $500 would suffice.
bitches are two feet square. Each OF the
bitches follows ridges or slight, ELEVATIONS and
out difficulty, The bitches are six or seven
feet wide and two feet deep. When irriga-
t tiSn Ias best is i to t iefan fho i dite eh,s III Sshte Of # wS Mss
all tho time. hut experiments on the various
farms have proved this to be not only unneces.
land is irrigated the water in the bitches must
be kept below the level OF the field.
The mode of irrigating which experience has
demonstrated to. be the best is to divide a field
made In the main ditch opposite the land to be
flooded, and sufficient water Ia permitted to run
over the tract TO thoroughly soak it. Then the
opposite the land embraced within the next set
Of lateral ridges. and SO on. These ridges are
proper. cultivation OF the land. The principal
thing is volume of water, and this Is the chief
advantage of the reservoir system.
One of the ordinary artcsian wells, such as
can be struck anywhere In the central portion
OF the State, east OF tho Missouri River, will I'll
irrigating season tho reservoir would beemptied
in about thirty-siN hours. Still, the average we'll
would irrigate from 1000 to 1900 acres, be-
cause it Is customary TO thoroughly soak the
land in the fall, and when 1t is once saturated 1t
tales very little water to keep 1t moist.
The bitches. when all the work is hired. cost
about 80 cents n rod. but when once constructed
1t requires very little expense to keep them in
good condition. On the farms under irrigation
there are usually four OF these bitches TO each
quarter section OF land. The cost of the bitches
would DO about 1924 for a quarter section. or
1896 for a section Of land. The cost, where O
CORNER does the work himself, is very slight;
small bitches are used only when an odd-shaped
piece Is to be irrigated. or when the tract 10 de-
tached or cut up by draws" or lake beds. Tho
small bitches are easily made. being q matter Of
plonghing two straight burrows.
When the soil 10 once saturated to the blue
clay, moisture will. como 10 the surface fast
enough to furnish plant life with all necessary
none, ana extreme care is taken not to injuro
land by wetting 1t too much. BY the reservoir
system ono man. after he has become familiar
with the Topography OF his fields. can irrigate
twenty acres in five or six hours. IL the bitches
have to cross hollows tho low places arc graded
VI, and the water Is carried along the top,
The benefits OF irrigation are shown by tho
fact that in the central part OF the State. wheat.
without irrigation. yielded an average OF ten
bushels to the acre. while on irrigated fields 1t
yielded from twenty to thirty bushels an acre.
IN tho western part OF the state, notably in Fall
River county. where irrigation Is carried on by
means OF canals with rivers as their source OF
an acre. while without irrigation y probably
would not have yielded more than tivo bushels
TO the acre, Other crops have yielded in pro.
portion, and next season will witness "A marked
increase In the number of acres which will be
irrigated.