The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-01
FARM,
In Farm and Garden-ThOughts for
FebrUary-About Irrigation.

In Farm and Garden-ThOughts for
FebrUary-AbOut Irrigation.
We have had a cold, but compare
lively dry, winter thus far, but what
may be in store Cor us in it's latter
half is beyant human ken. It may
be warm and wet or it may be Just
about what we would have it. There
is no telling. We take no stock in
weather prophets beyond a reasonable
confidence in the predictions of the
signal service from day TO day
The wise lneteorologist makes no Sc
cret of his inability to prognnsticate
the weather so much as fifty hours in
advance. There may be quite a num-
Der that can make very good guesses
about the matter. but it will never be
safe to bet much on their predictions"
when they include correct outline"
of the weather weeks and even months
in advance.
Is it not something of a reflection
upon the boasted civilization of the
great twentieth cenetury that there are
still so many, many people who accept
these fake representations and act
upon them as if they were so much
gospel truth: who still believe that
paintings of crops should be governed
by phases of the moon; who be eve
that wheat turns to cheat or chess;
who believe-well, no matter the haif
score of other similar curious beliefs
that have been arrived at-by inheri-
fgnCa phian4v Ha,
away from school instead Of walking
towards it. Never mind about that,
however. The weather OF next week
is not to be predicted this week by
any man. Until the great cycle has
been determined or discovered we will
have to go on backing or own judg-
ment of the possibilities and proba-
bilities of the weather just as we may
have excuse, or see fit to add to or
detract from anything the world
renowned almanac-Greer's of course
may tell us.
1t only needs two things to make
agriculture a great science-to know
what the weather will be and 10 make
it rain when it is needed or as a fair
substitute the power to irrigate. We
might make gardening or farming a
great success With either one of the
two 70 doubt. Under certain condi-
tlOAlS OllE We may nave Bul leN CT
the other in all probability.
BY the way. every one who owns
fairly good soil anywhere near our
cities or larger towns especially should
study the surroundings to see If it
were possible to make use of irrigation
on any part of their arabic land, even
if it is only an acre or two. There is
no doubt about this-the young man
of energy and intelligence that can
make use of the opportunity afforded
in an acre or two of land capable of
being irrigated by one means or an
other will find chances of success in
money making far greater than the
one who follows the ordinary methods
of Southern farming on many acres
without irrigation.
An acre or two or more of good soil
under irrigation and devoted to intel
ligent cultivation of such crops as cell
cry. cauliflower, lettuce. horse-radish,
Strawberries and several other things
that might be named could easily make
a young farmer quite prosperous in
the course of ten years provided he
made the best of it and was properly
economical and expanded his work as
results justified.
OF course cultivating the soil can
never be anything more than an art
so long as the farmer must depend en-
tirely upon the rainfall to supply
moisture for the crop that he grows
Even without knowing what the
weather. will be tilling the soil might
be made a scientific proceeding of ar
tificiai watering or irrigation could be
added to the farmers available re-
sources, In the coming time no doubt
ii will rise to a question of consider
able Importance when those areas sus-
ceptible to irrigation-areas small or
laarge can be found. They will have a
value probably many times greater
than ordinary lands. 1t will pay any
one to find out whether he has any of
this favored soil. To provide the con-
ditions desired it may be a river whose
waters are to be diverted 1t may be
a creek possibly a branch, a lake or
pond from which water may be con-
trolled for the use of crops and which
will insure their success when once
started.
We know almost nothing of maxi
mum crops until we have grown them
with the aid of all the water that can
be profitably used in making them.
With this supplied one could afford to
use, and with safety large quantities
of manure that would easily enable the
land to produce tenfold the crops over
the average production where only the
rainfall is the dependence for mois-
ture.
With irrigation the culture of two
acres in celery or strawberries or both
would, year in and out, produce more
profits than is made from twenty-five
acres-even fifty acres in ordinary
farming There are other crops than
celery and Strawberries that pay for
irrigation. A thousand bushels of beets
or onions could be made upon an ir-
rigated acre.
Where there are any possible facil-
tiles for irrigation it will pay to look
into the matter
About Manures.