Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-10-22

Perhaps 1000 acres in the western
part OF the state are irrigated 10 some
extent at present. operations being most
active i'll Williams county. Coulees and
creeks which empty into tho larger
rivers have been damned, and their
water diverted to the creek benches
and river flats. Operations are gener-
ally confined to spring flooding, and this
has been so remunerative, that there is
no doubt that irrigation in more
thorough way will be highly profitable.
Heavy crops of oats and hay are taken
from land saturated with water by
foe ding in the spring. and there is no
record of failure where this plan has
been followed, though in some localities
operations extend back to dry years
when TIE non flooded lard about was
barren. Gumbo flats treated to water in
this wa yhave changed their vegetation
from cactus and sage brush to a rich
growth of blue oint grass, which makes
the best of native hay and compares we'll
with timothy in value as fodder
Irrigation by means of reservoirs in
smaller tributaries which render it
possible to water the flats OF the larger
streams, can be carried much farther
i than it is at present. and is to be
recommended wherever practicable.
The difficulty which the plan presents
is found in putting in dams of sufficient
strength without too great an outlay
of money
On account of the low gradient of the
larger streams, the common practice of
diverting water for irrigation by lateral
bitches will prove practical only in rare
instances in North Dakota The pres
ence of vast quantities OF ignite, how
ever, along all of the streams i'll the
western part OF the state. renders
worthy of consideration the plan, sue
cessfully carried out i'll other states, of
pumping water rom the streams up to
the flats The lift of course, must be
me derate but many of the flats do not
lie high above water Level III the streams.
Ignite is very abundant along the
Missouri as far south as Bismarck, and
below this city is found at number of
, points, though the beds are generally
thin. Outcrops occur every few miles
l along the river above Bismarck, and
5 prospecting will doubtless reveal beds
I rot row expos d. Over sixty expos
: ures on the Missouri, more than four
II ieet thick were measured by the Geo
q logical survey during the past summer
e many of the beds reaching a thickness
q of twelve and fifteen feet, and shown,
II for long distances On the Little Mis-
Is souri, and its tributaries, coal is nearl
20 continuous in outcrop and reaches
lie maximum thickness of forty feet o.
y Sand creek, tributary southwest o
II Yule postoffice Similar condition
&c hold for the Heart, Knife, Upper Can
non Ball and Cedar Rivers. Ignite i
e scarce on the lower Cannon Ball ant
thick beds are nearly absent for 10'
miles from its mouth.
J. In but two instances at present
: water is pumped for irrigation in North
a Dakota, Ignite furnishing the motive
power, and these plants are on too
small scale to demonstrate the highest
possible value Of the method, though
their proprietors are we'll satisfied with
the profits obtained. On Green river,
> north OF Dickinson, Fischer Brothers
irrigate about 80 acres annually, the
crops raised being oats, millet, potatoes
and garden products. A farm engine
. drives rotary pump which raises 800
= ga Ions a minute, fifteen feet, an eleva-
y ton sufficient TO distribute water over
= large areas on Green river, and similar
;. streams IN the state. The cost of tll'
u pump was S250.OO, delivered. Mr.
i FISCHER estimatel that his eluipmen
irrigates 300 acres even in dry year
Two collars worth of coal was burned
y per day, lign te costing fifty cents tol
'e at neighborng ban. Mr.. A. F. Riley
" on Little Heart river, near Gladstone, i
= the summer of 1902 was preparing t
. irrigate 60 acres in the same way, usin
, lign from his own bank
On the smaller streams that do nc
}, flow constantly, mporary dams can b
;, thrown across the stream bed, whic
:, will reta n water for irrigating the at
:. jacent fats, and pump and engine ca
-, be moved from place to place, and II
:, cost of ditching be greatly reduced.
.,e Estimates are now being made as
i. the cost OF lifting water sufficient ev