The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-02
Practical Irrigation in Georgia.
BY +. ]. MERRIAM

The question OF irrigation is one which e9.
cites instant interest wherever we hear II
mentioned, and II you happen to raise an
have Irrigation explains 1t all, no matter how
many other factors may have been instru-
mental in bringing about the result.
When putting In q system OF irrigation
there are number Of questions which must
be answered before we are sure that ~ Will
prove q profitable Investment First. In re-
gard to your water supply. second, your
location, and lay OF the land. Third, the crop
to be irrigated, and, fourth, the method OF
irrigation 1t Is best to adopt.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
It Is almost an absolute necessity that there
which is not likely TO go dry and, which will
give you sufficient supply OF water, for 1t is
seldom that wells. even II dug very large. Will
afford enough water. 1 have, however,
known ofone or two cases where they have
proved success.
LOCATION AND LAY OF LAND.
Ifyou contemplate irrigating your place. It
Is very important that your location be con-
pay best with irrigation must be mar keted
quickly. The lay Of the land must also be
considered. It should have gentle SLOPE
With the rows laid off so the water Will run
freely along them without washing. 1t Will
not pay TO irrigate very steep land, for no
matter how well 1t is terraced, 1t is very diff"
cult To lay off the rows go that you can
irrigate them without allowing the land to-
Very fat land should also be avoided, ss
such land Is difficult 10 irrigate unless you
have a very large supply Of water: 1t Is also
often necessary to Hood this land, ana uniese
would be done the growing crops by the land.
becoming too wet.
THE CROP TO BE IRRI9ATED.
otoo ri I'M
farm crops here at the South, for we nearly al.
ways have sufficient rain to make these crops
and with proper cultivation, failure ls VeJF
rare. while the increase In the crop due TO the
fact, there are very few crops outside Of
berries and vegetables which will pay 10
irrigate. Now and then we have reason
when It would pay to irrigate corn prov,oeS
the water Of steam can be diverted into q
head ditch from which 1t could be turned
directly into the field. This method 1s 30
simple and inexpensive that II would pay ri, on
when we 60 to the expense of putting in an
engine with lines OF pipes, we must have a..
money crop 10 apply II to where the returns
will be correspondingly great.
METHODS OF IRRIGATION.
Among the different methods OF irrigation
we hear great deal about the ram and the
windmill. Now while these two methods are
house and lawn, and to trrigate small gar
dens, when we come to field work they are
quite out of the question, as 1t requires !0,OOO
to IL. .0G0 gallons Of water to properly irrigate-
an acre, while the amount OF water which
they pump in q given space OF time Is So
small that large storage tanks are necessary
In order to make them all at operative, and a.
storage tank is q source Of expense and worry
from start to finish. 1t also requires two
lines Of pipe, lone to carry the water to the
tank, and a larger one to convey 1t to the
field. But there are 30 many better ways 10
irrigate, that shall not take up the subject OIL
storage tanks or reservoirs In tne present
article.
THE DAM AND THE HILLSIDE DITCH.
The most satisfactory method Of irrigation
Is the natural one OF dammlng up or turning
aside stream. and conveying the water to
the field In main or head ditch, from Wblch
IL can BIZ turned, where convenient, into
other bitches or furrows, to be again subdlvlo-
ed into smaller streams and turned down be:
tween the rows Of growing crops. Care should
be taken when planting crop TO be irrigated,
not to have the rows too long, for IN this
event the upper end OF the rows Will become
irrigated. Where 1t is necessary to have long
lows, we arrange for cross .furroW ana
redistribution OF water about every hfty
yards. ,l
irrigated, especially bottom lands, be well
undetermined In order to carry OF any
surplus water. The writer once made SAD
mistake and ruined q fine patch OF cabbage,
properly drained. We had just finished
watering the cabbage when there came on a
very heavy rain the soil became saturated
and could not rid itself OF the surplus water
Result. most OF the cabbage wilted down ann
died.
THE GASOLINE ENGINE
The next best method, and one which i