The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-10-29
PLANTER.
IRRIGATION IN THE SOUTH.
=. ssbteet That May Wen Challenge
the Careful Thought of
Southern Farmers.


The subject of irrigation is one O
growing Importance TO southern farm
.rs. As land becomes more valuabl,
,ad satisfactory labor more difficult Ii
obtain, everything becomes interesting
that helps us to produce more on
oven area and with less labor. Ant
this Is exactly what irrigation pro.
poses to do.
Water is the most essential element
IN successful farming. To make maxi
mum crops we must have plenty OF
water and at the proper time
throughout most of the south, the
rainfall is usually amply sufficient to
make abundant crops. But the distri-
button of this rainfall is very unequal
and very uncertain. We usually have
more water than we need during the
winter season and less than we need
during the summer season. But even
this smaller quantity that falls dur
ing the summer would be much more
helpful If only the right quantity fell
at a time, and always at the right
time. But such is not usually the case.
We have excessive rainfalls and then
dry seasons, with too much sunshine
for the good of the crop.
This state of things renders it nee
essary for the farmer to study how he
may relieve this situation by giving a
constant and uniform supply Of water
to his growing crops.
One way of doing this is by deep
blowing, breaking through the hard
pan into the porous earth below, and
thus making it possible for the excess
Of winter water to sink into the earth
under the influence Of gravity, and to
come back to the aid of the crop by
the influence of capilarity during the
long, hot summer days.
One strong reason In favor of this
method is that it is within the reach
Of every man, whether rich or Door
tenant or owner. But the greatest
drawback is found in the fact that we
have so long abused our land by shall
low culture and working when wet and
burning up vegetable matter, that this
method of rendering the soil fertile Is
slow, tedious and requires a good deal
Of skill to insure certain results.
For very many reasons, a great
many farmers desire some plan that !
will furnish water in large quantities
at any time that may be necessary.
This artificial supplying of water is
what we call irrigation. There are
three methods Of accomplishing this.
One is by diverting the water from
running streams where fall is sufic-
lent, by means of bitches, SO as to
carry the water around on the hill
sides where it can be turned upon all
the land that is below. Of course this
method does not help any Of the land
above the level of the starting point.
Hence we find the second method. that
OF raising the water by windmills or
iorcepumps into large tanks from
which 1t may be distributed by gravity.
A third method, which is available
in a few localities, is to dam I'D a
stream and force the water to spread
out by soaking through the adjoining
land, where it comes into contact with
he roots of the crops.
A slight glance at the above will
now that the first and last of these
IRE applicable only to small areas. The
second, or forcepump and windmill
they are often combined), is the n '
susceptible of the widest application. :
n this method, the water may be '
aised either by ram, or by windmill. :
by engine, as the circumstances may
eem to justify. =
These are the fundamental princi- ,
'ies OF irrigation. The water must al
first get above the land that Is -
0 be watered. But we understand our l.
correspondent to wish to know what q
5 the best method of distribution after :,
he water is obtained. We think that .
Experience has shown that 1t is always
etter and cheaper to carry the water
long in drains, having a very slight
Ill, and distribute 1t to the crops by !.
1t run along between the rows I,
plants. Pipes are needed to carry a
he water to the tops of the inclines, II
ut distribution by underground pipes n
expensive and uncertain. :,
How much water to be used on any ST
wen crop at any given time is a d
lestion that must be decided by the a
nd of crop and the condition of the It
and soil. Some kinds of crops W
'e large amounts of water, while 9TH Il
S require very little help in this di- S
'ction. Some seasons require little CT
alter, while others, being hotter and r.
yer, require very much more. Good
dgment must be exercised by each
rmer in doing this work.
Irrigation is always more OF less ex-
nsive. But il it is used with good
dgment, it will be found very profit "
ne. Enormous crops OF almost any -
nd may be raised by a constant and III
liform supply of water, giving the .
just what they can use and no
ore. In market gardening and truck u
3 1t is found to pay very handsome ~
In raising small fruits, such as w
.'awberries, the size and quality are az
iuenced and the time of bearing W.
eatly heightened by irrigation. In
crops as cabbage, cucumber and ma
lers, which contain large amounts of 1t
ter, the yield may be doubled, tre- be
ID or quadrupled. mi
the use of irrigation, California, ie
III much the same climate as Georgia
d Florida, only dryer, has been able sal
raise fruits SO cheaply that she can pr
them z 00D miles and compete al