Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-03-30

face Is dry, will Immediately germi-
nate and make q most rapid growth,
which in this latitude, with our short
seasons, ia an essential. The moist
ure furnished by flooding the ground
in the spring time ensures a good
supply to continue the growing
through July and August which Is
usually a period OF more or less
drought. Under these conditions I
have usually secured full average
crop while the unirrigated lands
about us have usually produced less
than half crop. s E>~
Thousands of acres Of land, in my
in western North Dakota.
can be made to produce enormous
crops Of grain, grass and vegetables
by means of irrigation, ad this can be
done at reasonable expenditure in
putting in the plant for irrigation.
The cost of maintaining my bitches,
drains, etc., and in putting the water
on the land does not exceed each year
seventy-five cents per acre, and this
can be considerably reduced as a
larger area is irrigated by the same
plant. This does not include, of
course, the first cost Of putting in the
plant. -... '..>r. :
Having observed the benefit to be
derived from irrigation, I would urge
each and every farmer in western
North Dakota to urge upon their
representatives in congress the i'm
portance Of having an extensive and
proper system of irrigation adopted
and put in operation as early as pos
sible. I consider the irrigation propo-
sition as one of the most important
before the people of our state at the
present time, and that the general
adoption Of irrigation will result in
great, good for our state and furnish
new homes for thousands of settlers.
Eugene Littlefield, Ray, N. D.: As
requested I will give my views and
observations with regard to the meth.
DDS of irrigation, and the advantages
to be derived from it and trust that
the same may prove helpful to some
of your many readers who desire to
try the experiment. .. ~.
In my opinion, in western North
Dakota, land on which cereals, hay and
general cultivated crops are to be
grown, should be flooded in the early
spring. At this time the snow is
melting and there is an abundance Of
water to thoroughly soak the ground
to a sufficient depth SO as to ensure
the crops against drouth, providing
these food waters of the early spring
can be properly distributed over the
land at the right time. A flooding of
the land in spring will in my observa-
ton and experience, insure a yield
of from two to three times the
amount of grain, hay, etc., per acre
as compared with the land not irri-
gated.
Our farms where water can be
stored for further use after the land
has been flooded in the spring even
much better results can be had. To
insure success for the latter ,irriga-
ton only light surface additions
should be made by opening bitches,
regulated with gates, SO that the
surplus of water may be drawn in
and properly distributed over the
land to be irrigated. If the
water is flooded over the surface
at this late period it must not
be allowed to stand ON the ground
long, just long enough to moisten the
ground to depth of a few inches,
since the ground below is well sup
piled with moisture from the spring
flooding.
If the irrigation water is allowed
to remain for any length of time on
the ground the surface becomes too
wet and on drying bakes and conse-
quently smothers the grain or cult
waited crops. l .....- TT. j srs3.a. " n
For garden cultivated crops / would
not recommend early spring irriga-
ton. The ground should not be wet
down till the crops are all sowed or
planted. Early spring flooding leaves
the land so wet that putting In OF
such crops are delayed while II the
seed is planted first and the irrigat-
ing waters are applied later the crops
will be from two to threes week
earlier. This Is an important point
for either market crops or garden
products for home use. After the
irrigated surface begins to dry. fre-
quent but very shallow cultivation
will insure enough moisture to pro
duce q good crop. In this cultiva-
ton tho crops are being helped in
several ways. First the thin layer Of
cultivated ground acts as dust