Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-09-07


am thoroughly convinced that iirri-
cation is a good thing for North 5Da-
kota. You have Considerable areas which
can Be reclaimed. That the Buford
project will be carried through 1 have
very little doubt 4 have great hopes
Of others, and that we can introduce
and carry on this work is simply 4 mat
ter Of time.
The law does not allow us to expert
ment No appro priation is used ia the
government to do the work of another
appropriation, but when we have found
that any work can be put through with
reasonable risk then we can 60 in and
carry it through. have wandered over
this subject in a very general way, and
shall be glad to hear from others or
answer any questions which you may
care to put. ..s ) 4 AZ VIZ
IN Being asked to what extent expert
ments have been made in the way of
pumping, Mr. Newell said
There have; been Al great many ex-
periments made. One very successfully
in California for the orange, groves and
citron fruits, and they pump water 200
feet OF more for the sugar cane near
Honolulu. In the Y akima valley they
pump water something like 60 feet.
In the San Joaquin valley, and ii South
ern California they have a number Of
small pumps. We have just established
a pumping station on an Indian agency
in Arizona, and get. about seven cut
tings of alfalfa a year, and while it
don't pay, il is cheaper than issuing
rations. In New jersey and the Caro-
linas and Georgia are about the only
experiments and there a very little water
is needed. We must not be mislead by
supposing that we must supply merely
the deficiency in rainfall. You need
vastly more than that. y i. vi q
What is you opinion of pumping
water for sugar beets e. YEA l,s.g3
= think that might be- feasible; ii
seems TO me sugar beets would be one
of the most successful things to raise.
You might irrigate for alfalfa it is not
profitable to irrigate for barley, wheat
oats, etc. Irrigation requires intensive
farming to Be successful Italia rais-
ing with large stock ranges behind.
would besvery profitable. The sugar
beet is. one 81 the things that is yalu-.
able 5s$5s.jS i $s ,s4$s
Asked # in his opinion the creation;
of ponds would have ! tendency to,
bring rainfall, Mr.. Newell replied:
Mot 70 any perceptible extent If
you had house out on the prairie
without any shade around it Of course.
the air is dry around ii IF you plant
trees near BY and have little water,
the whole conditions seem to, change
around the house, but this condition
does not extend far. u do not think
that anything that man can do will ever
modify the rainflll, because the rainfall
here is probably affected more BY the
conditions in California or over the
great lakes, than here. If you plant trees,
the conditions in your immediate vicin-
lily are changed, but you have not
changed. the general atmospheric con
ditions. We have III every part Of the
country old men who tell you that the
country is dryer or warmer or colder
than it used to be, and yet the records
do not show it a bit. There are dry
periods and wet periods, but there have
been no perceptible changes. You might
detect the influence Of water about one
and a half miles. A hot wind is not
heated BY the earth; it is heated BY
dynamic power just as you heat the air
by pumping your bicycle
n, What is your idea about danming up
streams and holding back water Isl
the evaporation So great as to make that
not feasible :" i5s B
+ mo, that is a good thing. Farmers.
will do it when they get onto the trick
of making dams to stay. Dams are gen
orally put in very hastily and don't stay
but # put in carefully they stay. Il
have seen many a good garden cult
waited by one Of those ponds at no ex-
pense except labor, but It Teq1ires very
great care. i.