Evening journal., 1905-04-26
FARM INTERESTS.
Current Events and Intimations In
Agriculture.


BY B. BENJAMIN, Jr.
Washington. L. C.-The progress OF
irrigation in this country and the mag
nitude Of enterprises in irrigated agri-
culture constitute one Of the most re-
markable features IN theagriculburalde de-
velopment of the world SO rapid has
been its growth that recent data Of the
census bureau brought down to the
close Of the crop year of 1902 reveal
many striking facts regarding the num-
Der and extent Of the irrigation enter
prlses IN the western states, the enor-
nous amounts OF money involved in
their construction and the trend Of de-
velopment
In the year for which the data were
gathered for the recent census bulletin
irrigation was practiced on 134,036
farms in the United States, an increase
Of more than 20 per cent over the re-
turns for 1890. This increase repre-
sented an addition OF about 1,705.OO0
acres which has been brought under IT.
rigation systems at a cost Of nearly
$22OOO,0OO.
Grain Rust.
The. season Of 1904 witnessed proba-
bly, the most severe epidemic Of grain
rust ever known in the spring wheat
region, and a considerable amount Of
rust marked the season in all portions
Of the United States. Generally wheat
suffered most, oats next and rye in
some regions. There was little or no
damage to barley as a rule Cerealist
1 NJ A. Carleton. discussing the unusual
abundance Of rust in 1904, says the
simple reasons for It are;
First, the fact that there was an
unusual quantity OF moisture just at
the proper time for the rust to do the
most damage to the crop, and, second,
the unusual delay in the ripening Of
the grain. The season was generally
wet and, besides. was preceded by wet
seasons. There being a considerable
quantity Of rust in the two previous
/ wet seasons, Il finally reached the eli
max OF abundance in the third wet
season of 1904, and especially at the
critical period. This period, when the
greatest amount of damage is done,
is always between the date Of bios
soming and the date of ripening, when
the head is "flling out" The preva-
lence of the disease is largely a ques-
ton of the humidity Of the atmosphere
Fine Truck Land.
The type Of muck land known in In
diana and Illinois as BLACK prairie
and "chahy soiI' is peculiar. With
the ground water very near the sur
face, the soil is said to be never toe
wet to work. 1t is apparently very
rich, yet largely unproductive. Will
the addition of stable manure and
wood ashes. however, it produces prof
liable crops of truck, particularly OF
celery, onions, potatoes and cabbage
Agents of the bureau of soils state thai
the low productiveness of muck i:
largely due to poor underdrainage. II
addition to thorough drainage they say
that the process of oxidizing the or
ganic matter that forms the greater
proportion of the soil can be hastenet
by Incorporating strawy manures oi
litter with 1t. A statement recently
credited to Chief Whitney OF the bu
reau of soils is to the effect that th'
remedy for these waste lands has beer
found in the addition Of potash, il
which they are lacking, and the potasl
may be supplied through any Of tn,
potash fertilizers. the form OF the pot
ash being unimportant.