Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-04-15

r ROM one end OF Utah 10 the other
the ground has been pretty we'll
supplied with moisture; in tho
south half OF the state the soil IL
aturated to a depth Of two or three
ieet This condition, with a fair supply
q snow In the mountains TO furnish
water for use in midsummer warrants
the expectation Of the greatest harvest
known in years In nearly all sections OF
Utah, Having an abundance Of water
in the soil II should be the aim OF an
farmers to retain this moisture in the
soil as long as possible, none should DO
allowed to escape, but should be con-
served to he utilized by the plants IN
the production of crops, Soil moisture
Is the paramount consideration Of the
Utah farmer without It he cannot grow
crops Of any kind,
In the pursuit Of agriculture in this
state heretofore the whole effort Of the
farmer has been TO procure as much
canal stock and irrIgatIng water as pos
soIe and to use all the latter that
could be obtained Too little value has
been placed upon seasonable rains, and
100 little attention given to conserving
he soil moisture obtained from natu-
aI sources and by irrigation The COM
mon practise has been 10 irrlgate tho
pl or the farm or garden when It
needed IL, and when that dried out to
Apply more water II II was to be had.
ana Il the supply OF lrrigatlng water
ran short the crops suffered,
me more modern and the more ra-
uooaI system would be to adopt some
method Of retaining in the soil as long
y possible all the moisture applied TO
either naturally or otherwise. This
van DE done by thorough and
,sular station. Instead OF let
ky lhe soil dry out I'm the spring by
sTg winds and warm sunshine, every
" ,u should be gone over with a disk or
sn."Way harrow to loosen up and make
Ky lhe top soil, The lucern fields and
. we land plowcd last fall should be gone
r.. j" TINS manner as early as a team
Cm De put on the ground. The top soil
h.u N'on become as dry as dust, and
bru ID mulch or blanket over the whole
griu which the moisture from the
A, .r sou cannot pass through so long
tr,o " kept loose, Land intended for
q, Nv SHOULD he gone over every week,
r,,. OFTEN as the weather influences
b,o ''uI untl the land is finally put
h,',v. Every irrigation should be
so,n UI Win thorough cultivation, as
YIibnn4 ID lram can 60 upon the land
grovlr- pudding II, throughout the
ana hS season. The corn, potatoes,
dnr. crops, so treated, win pro.
less rr,,stl returns with very much
given nh1 Wng water than Is usually
sg,, pI'hardS ana vineyards so man
bs,sll WY yield abundant crops OF The
or quality Of fruit with half the wa
no" considered necessary.
Ma, mas been estimated by those who
n,,, made a. study Of tho crop and cll-
hg conditions of Utah that lf horse
hsro" ,,saNon' was the general practise
tim le area Of land under cultIya-
l0pho this state could nj least be
hr to. ana every farm made the bet
Ms ~, ll This would mean much for
ana N,'Nth ana prosperity OF the state.
N patriotic farmer VI w.
CIV ~, IN VINO may doubt tho proprl-
Germ MI throwing or dlsking their lu-
oflbe",,, 'lS may make a trial OF a mart
own s H,lus and demonstrate 10 their
h.s n,,,l,,siIdcton the great benefit of
Va ,nona,.'se a farmer friend in pa
Year nr ny discovered its advantage A
to tota TWO ago by accident. He had
cen o, q narrow across field of m-
he b,n, go long way around IL. and
'''ed II through the alfalfa. The