The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-22
NORTH DAkOTANS
WILL IRRiGATE
Continued From First Page.


sible to irrigate ten acres in North
Dakota as cheaply as one acre in the
Southwestern states and make it
equally productive. The delegates re-
turned to their homes this afternoon.
The date and place of the next annual
meeting will be decided by the execu-
tive committee.
More Points From Mr.. Hill.
In his address, after quoting from Prof
Kings book, 'tThe Soil,''' Mr.. Hill said.
ductlveneSs Of soil to which has been APP
piled all the water which it can use Prof.
King makes the following statement:
On moderately fertile soil the water
has grown maize, supplying it with water
just as rapidly at it could use it to the
best advantage and found as an average
of two trials that 1t took during growing
season of one-third of the year the
equivalent of 34.3 inches to produce a
yield when calculated for an acre of more
than four times a field crop grown under
In Wisconsin. In other words, that a soil
to which is given all the water it can use
will produce four times an average prod
uct'
able statement which is published by
Storer with reference to the productive
ness of the irrigated. meadow near Edin-
burgh, Scotland, where the lands which
are described as being originally under a
system of sewerage irrigation. And as
stated by Prof. King, there can be no
question but that the larger yields here
secured are due more to the water than
to the fertilizer added to it. The Craig
entiny meadows, 200 acres in extent, yield
five cuts of grass aggregating from fifty
to seventy tons per acre between the
first of April and the end of October which
are sold to COW keepers for from $50 to
$3.50 per acre. the farm of 200 acres turn
ing in to its owner every year SIS, 600 to
$4,000 gross.
at Is also said that the milkmen ac-
knowledge that they cannot get any milk
producing food to compare. with this
grass for the same amount of money. On
the Myremill farm near Maybole, Scot
land, seventy acres in Italian ray grass
are said to have produced seventy tons
market value of one crop exceeding by
large sum the first cost of the irr1gat-
ing plan. 1t is said that this same land
before being treated in this manner de-
or one bullock to the acre, but under the
system of irrigation which was estab-
liShed it was easy to keep twenty sheep
or five bullockS to the acre.
Enormous Possibilities.
"You Eill please observe that the
amount OF water which corn crop will
consume in producing the maxim yield
Of four times the average crop is thirty
four inches, or nearly exactly the entire
amount of annual rain fall in Wisconsin
and Illinois. What enormous possibili-
ties lie therefore in the application of
water to crops even in the regions where
the rainfall is usually deemed sufficient!
That IS DR.. Kings statement, and his
statements are accepted where he is
known. The value and Importance of ir-
rigation as factor in the prosperity of
our farms being established, the question
then arises. whence in the state Of North
Dakota are We to derive the supply Of
water necessary for the use of our farm
ers to irrigate their lands?
nI1o
supply can be most quickly and econom-
1cally obtained by very large number
of our farmers is from the underground
waters which lie beneath their own land
Or from the small streams or lakes upon
their surface. 1t, of course, requires a
pumping plant to lift the water from I'M
foreground, and in the majority of cases
It would require pumping to utilize the
streams. But this is not an insuperable
difficulty. 1t Is not even serious diff
hculty. In the manufacture of pumping
machinery improvements have been made
Of late years which make it possible to
lift that water from any reasonable dis
lance, say fifty feet or less, and put it
upon n the surface of the ground at a cost
Which makes 1t practicable in view OF
the increased production of the lands ir-
rlgated. OF course the construction. oper-
alton and maintenance of pumping plant
involves some mechanical skill, but there
are very few OF our farmers who would
not easily develop this with a little In
structions or training. The relation be- be-
tween the cost of such plant and the
cost of its operation and the profits which
could be earned by It's use from the in
creased production Of the land irrigated
Is mere matter Of calculation.
Each farmer can figure 1t out for him
sen and there are very few farms in
this ;, state where the experiment on a
small scale or an irrigated area supplied
with water from a pumping plant would
not De Well worth trying by the owner Of
the farm. There are so many things
w which can be produced by irrigation and
out 1t which add materially to the com
pleteness Of the life on the farm ana its
products, that their culture, even though
on small scale. would be fascinating
pursuit Tor every intelligent farmer.
National Operations.
Passing from this field for the 6evaI.
opment of Irrigation on small areas hv
the intelligent action of the individna1
FARMER we could come into the ierear
neid for development by the national GOV
eminent irrigation act. We have moi Ss
yet the exact information necessary fo he
certain just what lands in this state could
De irrigated through the constructors IF
large canals and irrigation systems by the