Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-16

depending upon irrigation. have been
| determined
or even greater interest than the
| questions already mentioned are the at
| tenpts 70 breed certain Characterization
into plants by controlling Irrigation.
| For instance. the best -four for human
food IL that which contains high per
cent OF gluten, and by irrigation It Is
possible ~ Increase or diminish this
per cent The attempt has been made
% produce grain so rich In gluten that
when grown IN countries ~ abundant
| rainfall where irrigation IA not prac-
! tlced Il will yield seed that Is also rich
In gluten Can this be done IN the case
OF wheat and other crops and Ia seems
very probable that Ia can be- Il will
undoubtedly mean that the arid lrrigBt-
| ed districts OF the world win become the
great seed producing centers for those
| parts Of the world whore irrigation Ia
not practised.
These are some Of the problems that
| have been studied at this institution
| during the last four years and show
the general tenor Of the investigate Ions
Tho crops Investigated 40 far have
| not been very many but include wheat,
/ oats, barley. corn, lucern, bronze grass,
| timothy. Italian rye grass, orchard
| grass, potatoes, sugar beets, peas. on.
ions, cabbage carrots, hemp. toma-
| tors and apples As opportunity allows,
| other crops viii be studied in similar
! exhaustive manner.
INCREASING THE IRRIGATED
AREA.
As already remarked, back OF all
| these more or less scientific problems
| lies tho creator problem OF using tho
| water at our disposal IN the most econ
| omical manner, and the results obtained
| show, beyond doubt that the application
| Of scientific principles TO the art ~ IT.
rlgatiun will do for irrigation what
| such appliances have done for the great
| science OF agriculture. Specifically, the
| results OF our Investigations lead US
/ 20 assert that even under present condl-
| lions without building one new reaer-
/ volr or adding to the present irrigation
| canals the irrigated area may be In
| creased one-third or one-fourth or one
| half, With such results the elaborate
| investigations carried on here for sever
| nj years past are amply justified When,
/ IN addition It IL recalled that there IL
n strong probability OF raising the quail
| ity OF crops by rational methods OF ir-
| rigation far above the quality OF crops
| In humid districts, II follows that all
such Investigations NJ those outlined
can not be supported too heartily.
EQUIPMENT.
It Is evident that such work as has
| been outlined requires a large and spec
| ial equipment. IN fact. the amount and
\ quality OF the work that can be done
| depends almost altogether upon the
means which may be placed at the dis
| posal Of the investigators. Three farms
have been and are being used In this
i Nspplr.--th, O.,
| hundred plats one-twentieth Of an acre
each, the GreenWlle farm containing
| one hundred plats, one-twenty fifth OF
an acre eachan the Frankhausen farm
l containing so plats one twenty nth OF
| an acre each. These farms have been
| laid OF into plats so far removed from
each other that the water applied 20
one plat does not effect the soil water
Of the adjoining plats Large main
| and lateral fumes have been built so
that the water may be conveyed at will
to any portion OF the farm and to any
one OF the plats A large Clppoletti
| weir. Of the very best construction IL
| built for each farm to enable the meas
| urement OF the water 20 be made IN
the most accurate manner The clock
work recording divces for water meas
urement have been found TO be unsat-.
isfactory and have been discarded Men,
weirs and to measure the water at
| frequent intervals with miorometer
gauges. All the plats are so rldged that
all the water applied 10 one plat Is COM
| PEELED 20 soak into the soil Of that
plat. As far as the means at the dis,
posal OF the investigators VIII allow
the conditions under which the water Is
applied TO these plats are possessed OF
almost mathematical certainty,
| In addition the three fQrnng a
large vegetation house has been built,
containing seventy.eight pots each
one twenty-four inches In diameter
and two and one-half feet high.
These pots are filed with vari-
GUS kinds Of soils In which different
plants are grown with varying
| amounts Of water. The vegetation
house experiments serve TO check the
work done In the field, and 10 furnish
data concerning problems that can not
well be solved directly OH the farm.
These pots are placed on small,
spec tally constructed cars. and are
| kept IN the open air day and night.
except on rainy days when they ere
sheltered under a glass roof Weighing
contrivances have been constructed
whereby the pots may be weighed at
stated intervals and the loss Of water
upder different conditions may be de-
termlned,
Then several laboratories are In
operation for the chemical, physical
and other studies Of the soils and crops
used in the investigation. Beyond ques-
ton, the experimental plant for the
study Of irrigation at the Utah Experl-
ment station il the only one OF its
| kind In the world.
THE WORKERS.
Such elaborate experiments can not
be conducted successfully by one man.
The problems are 80 widely different
that various specialists are necessary
to handle them all Three OF the de-
pRrtments Of the station are therefore
engaged IN the cooperative study OF
the principles underlying the art OF ir-
rigation Tho seeding and harvesting OF
crops and all the field work are under
the direction OF tho agronomist. Prof.
l.. A. Merrill. The application and prop
or measurement OF water and all rela-
tive work were under the direction.
during the first two seasons, Of Prof.
| c. L. Swendsen, now Of the United
| states Reclamation Service, who was
succeeded by Prof. w, W. Mclaughlin.
the present irrigation engineer. The
soil moisture work and the chemical
| studies OF the soils and crops are
under the direction OF the writer who
also has general oversight OF the work.
In addition 20 the heads OF the different
| departments numerous assistants and
| laborers are employed 10 look after
! the details OF the work.
Beginning with 1904 these lnvestlgH-
tons viii I've carried on I'm co-opera-
ton with the irrigation investigations
Of the once Of Experiment stations