The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-09-26

light as fertilization or any other
means of securing large returns from
the soil, and the agricultural depart
ment is under the same obligation to
study irrigation that it is to study
any other phase of farming in that
region.
THE east has one great advantage
of the west in irrigation-it has q
much larger water supply, owing TO
the heavier rainfall. The question of
water supply is, therefore, of much
less relative Importance than it is in
the west. In the east the main ques-
tion is the agricultural one: VIII
irrigation pay? This, of course. in
cludes the study of methods which
will make it most profitable. Our
work in the east has gone far enough
to show that in raising small fruits
and vegetables. at least, irrigation
pays well. Experiments have been
carried on in New Jersey for a num-
Der of years. Our reports show that
for the years 1898 and 1899 irrigated
blackberries yielded about "a per
cent more than unirrigated, the in
creased yield being worth more than
$9S per acre.
Increased Yield.
"The increased yield of currants
was 43 per cent, worth $3.50 per acre.
The increased yield of sweet corn
was 51.5 per cent; sweet potatoes, 72.6
per cent. worth s43.6S per acre; Lima
beans, 23.S per cent; watermelons, 40
per cent; and Irish potatoes, 1854 per
cent
These returns were from expert
mental plats and from market gar
dens. In almost every case the in
creased yields for a single year were
enough to pay the entire cost Of the
plant necessary to furnish water and
the operating expenses. leaving the
increased yields of future years above
operating expenses as profit. Not
every year would show equally good
returns, as in some years the rain
fall is sufficient to produce good
crops, but our agents estimate that
in every year the yield of some inn
portant crop will be greatly increased
by the application of water, and in
many years all crops will be i'm
proved. New Jersey is typical of a
large area along the Atlantic coast.
and the question of the profitable
ness of irrigating there is considered
settled. We have, therefore, gone on
to experiment with different methods
of distributing and using water to
find out how to produce the best re-
suits under the varying conditions of
soil and crops.
wisconsin has been chosen as
typical of the middle west, and we
have carried on cooperative expert
ments at the agricultural experiment
station of that state to determine the
value of irrigation in raising general
farm crops. These experiments have
covered number of years. The av-
erage net profit after deducting all
expenses of operation, including in
tereSt on the cost of irrigation works
and the depreciation of the plant, has
been for hay, 500 per acre; corn, $11
per acre; and potatoes. $73 per acre
What has been done at Madison can
be duplicated anywhere in the middle |
west, and the possibilities of increas-
ing the products of our farming areas
in this way are almost unlimited.
Experiments in Wisconsin.
I'VE are carrying on another series
Of experiments in Wisconsin which
may prove of great value to the
sandy areas around the Great Lakes,
this has not yet been dem
These lands retain so
little moisture that all attempts to
arm them have failed. The expert
nents have included the use of both
manure and water. Manure alone
proved of little use, as there was not
water enough to make the plant food
lvailable. Water alone produced
rood results, but the application of
10th gave the best results. The cost
# irrigation on the eS Seriniental
arm was s6.7O per acre. and the net
;ain from irrigation in 1901 was:
$50 per acre; corn, 81 per
Icre; watermelons, S5S per acre:
s45 per acre. From
hese experiments 1t seems that with
pecfal crops irrigation of these sandy
ands is profitable, but with corn the
Increase in yield is not enough to
Justify the expense of securing a
yater supply. These experiments
re being continued, as they have
OF covered long enough period nor
wide enough range of crops to JUS
ify any conclusions as to the possi-
llity of reclaiming large areas of the