The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-05
The Work. of Water,

We have as yet many unsolved pro-
blems in agriculture. and among them
is the work that water must do in the
production of crops, says the Farm
ers' Review. We are largely in a mist
as to the amount of water needed on
land to produce a certain amount of
grain or of fruit. The experimenters
that have been at work on this problem
in various parts of the country can
only tell us that they are coming clos
er and closer to some kind of a gen.
eral base.
Prof. King found out that it
took several hundred pounds of water
to produce a pound of different kinds
of grain; but to produce a pound OF APP
pies the amount of water will be found
to be very much less. Some of the
most effective experiments have been
made in New Mexico, at Mesilla Park
To them we are indebted for some
very valuable data as to the cost Of
using steam in the pumping of water,
employing wood as fuel. We had natu-
rally taken il for granted that it would
not pay to use steam in pumping wa
ter for irrigating land. We now know
that steam is one of the cheapest agents
that can be employed in the raising of
water lOf SuCn a purpose.
But one of the important things that
must be settled is the exact work to be
laid on water. If the experiments have
shown anything it is that the most
profit comes when the exact amount of
water required is supplied. Every inch
of unnecessary water used is added
expense. If a good deal too much wa
ter is used the expense may be equal
to the profit. So 1t becomesa mat
90 HrNag In. n.
is money The wise irrigator knows
that irrigation pays; the unwise irri-
gator is strongly fixed in the belief
that II does not pay.
This truth is coming out I'm the dis
covery in good MANY localities that
less water is required than it was
thought would be required for the
production of a crop of any particu-
lar grain. In New Mexico they are
about settling down to the conclusion
that twenty-five inches of water ap-
piled throughout the growing season,
from seeding to harvest. is the most
profitable amount. A larger appli-
cation may increase the yield of wheat,
but the increase is made at the ex-
pense of large amount of water, and
this water cost is far greater than the
value of the increase of the grain. Thus
IL was found that seven irriga tons
rigation gave IS bushels of wheat. That
was at the expenditure of S5 inches
of water over the whole area. Twen-
ty-five inches of water gave 1871 bush
els At this rate II took one and
two-thirds inches of water TO produce
one bushel of wheat, while the extra
three bushels was produced at an ex-
penditure of ten inches of water or
at the rate Of three and third inches
of water for each bushel of wheat.
Clearly wheat would have to be very
high in price TO make II pay to pro-
duce It at this cost.
Another thing that IL being brought
out by trials with irrigation water Is
that water does not sink rapidly into
the soil, When thirty-hve incres of
water were applied to the wheat field
none OF il sank In deeper than Ave
feet. As soon as the ground could
hold II without being more than sat
urated Il prevented It's downward
movement. This is help 10 the fri
gator. II prevents the teaching away
OF the water and Il saves the fertility
that may be In the soil naturally or
that has been artincially applied
The roots OF many plants. including
corn, clover and alfalfa, Will go down
nve feet or more and 80 can make
use OF all the water applied.
In the humid states the land has
become saturated 90 great depths be.
cause little water has been added
each year throughout the centuries
But this Do not the case in many re-
Rl0nE IN the west, where the surface
fOf a. hundreds on feet above soll
water. ln such cases the water
moves down very slowly. whore Il I.
applied IN proper quantities. for eros