Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-17

well known In general way but they
are merely suggestive OF the possibilities
Of careful, scientific study 81 the metA-
ODDS and times OF applying water 20 cIopa,
1T may be possible that regulating inc
time OF applying water to crops ana the
amount applied will be found To Dc one or
the greatest agents IN ellminallng unlt-
sirable quantities and perpetuating Vain-
able ones I'm all our crops raised under
irrigation. The possibilities along this line
are unlimited az they are nlOng all lines
Of agricultural practise.
Farmers cannot. as a rule, mako these
experiments for the Improvements OF me
crops themselves They are dependent
upon the returns from the fields for their
living and must therefore stick TO meth
DDS and 10 crops which have been proven
to be successful, Progress IN agriculture,
both In the arid region and elsewhere,
must depend very largely upon the work
Of the government IN testing new ideas
and introducing those which prove bene-
iiclal.
part OF the country whore irrigation Is
necessary to profitable farming. But ~
rigation Is not confined to the west. In
the east Il IL coming TO be looked upon IN
the same Hight as fertilization or any 9TH
er means Of securing large returns from
the soil, and the agricultural department
is under the same obligation to study ir-
rigation that II Is 10 study any other
phase OF farming In that region.
SUPERIORITY OF IRRIGATION.
"The east has one great advantage OF
the west In irrlgtion-lt has a much larger
water supply owing to the heavier ram
fall The question of q water supply Is
therefore OF much less relative Importance
than Ii ls IN the west. In the east the
main question Is the agricultural ONE
VIII irrigation pay? This. of course. IN.
cludes the study OF methods which VIII
tlra . VaIit al A. AZ
east has gone far enough to show that In
raising small fruits and vegetables at
least, irrigation pays wen. Experiments
have been carried ON In New Jersey for
Il number OF years. Our reports show that
for the years 1883 and 1883 Irrigated black
berries yielded about "a per cent more
than unrrigated, the increased Yield be-
ing worth more than sg3 per acre. The IN
creased yield OF currents was i3 per cent,
worth Sie.G0 pCr acre. The increased yield
of sweet corn was dis per cent; sweet
potatoes, 72,G per cent, worth si3.6S per
acre, lima beans, 3.S per cent water
melon, 20 per cent? ana Irish potatoes 1874
per cent
''Thesc returns were from experimental
pats and from market gardens. In al
most every case the Increased yields for
single year were enough To pay the en-
tire cost OF the plant necessary TO furnish
water and the operating expenses, leav-
ing the increased yields Of future years
above operating expenses az profit Not
every year would show equally good re-
turns, as In some years the rainfall Is
sufficient TO produce good crops, but our
agents estimate that In every year the
yield OF some important crop VIII be
greatly Increased by the application Of
water, and In many years all crops will
be Improved New Jersey Is typical OF
large area alVng the Atlantic coast and
the question OF the profitabeness OF ir-
rigatlng there is considered settled We
have therefore gone on to experiment
with different methods of distributing and
using water TO ind out how to produce
the best results under the varying condi-
lions Of soil and crops.