Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-12-27
nine bushels of oats very good pay
for irrigating one acre.

crop is not the only thing to be con-
sidered; the quality of the crop
must also be given full attention.
We have recently learned that the
quality of crops may largely be con-
trollcd by controlling the applica-
ton of water. Plants receiving
much water usually become richer
in fat than those receiving smaller
amounts of water. The sugar in
bccts appears to increase as the
water increases up to a certain
limit, when the per cent begins to
decrease. The quality of fruits and
vegetables may be strongly influ-
cnced, and in many cases improved
by the judicious use of water, In
almost all crops the so-called pro-
tein or flesh-forrnign substances
are highest in crops that have
been grown with the least amount
of water. For instance, wheat
grown with small amount of
water will yield a better and more
nutritious flour than will wheat
grown with a larger amount of
water. Oats grown with a small
or moderate amount of water would
form better horse feed than oats
grown with more water, and so on
in general with all the grains.
When this rather subtle subject
shall have been investigated prop
crly it will probably put the
means into the hands of the farm
or whereby he can at will produce
crops that will excel the crops
grown in humid climates in quail
ity, flavor and general dcsirability,
and as a consequence the products
of the irrigated section will be
superior in value to the products
of the humid sections. The great
lesson that seems to be enforced by
recent Investigations similar to
those quoted is that in general the
more moderate the amount of water
used in the production of the crop
the better is the quality of the crop.
Investigations carried on at the
experiment station with which
am connected shows that irrigation
water few hours after its applica-
ton makes it's influence felt to a
depth of a great many feet below the
surface. The water tends to wash
the nitrates and other soluble and
valuable plant foods into the lower
layers of the soil. If excessive irri-
cation be practiced for any length
of time, much of the fertility in
the soil will undoubtedly be washed
down into ground water or out of
the reach of the roots of plants,
and this soil will cause CORE
spending decrease in the yield and
quantity of the crop. If district
persists in over-irrigation, and l
regret to say that | have observed
very few localities in which over
irrigation is not practiced, the SOL
uble materials of the soils will
finally be washed out of the soil,
the ground water will be raised.
there will be seepage downward
into the lower lying lands, and an
accumulation there of water heavily
charged with the soluble materials
of which the higher lying lands
have been robbed. Evaporation
will then begin. The soluble ma
terials in the water will be depos-
tied near the surface of the soil as
alkali, and streakS of fertile lands
will begin to form on the alkali
barrens of the west. At the same
time, from the diminution of plant
food, the yield and quality of the
crops on the higher lying lands will
be diminished. From this point
of view, also, the moderate use OF
water is advisable.
l am of the opinion that as our
knowledge grows we shall find that
the rational use of water consists
in the use of about is inches of
water distributed throughout the
season according to the needs of the
different crops on the farm. Should
this view be correct, it will mean
at least the doubling of the irrigated
area without the expenditure of an
other dollar for the construction OF
new reservoirs and canals.
BY the time that the reclamation
service shall have finished it's first
great Undertaking, there will be
considerable data of the kind at its
disposal, for a number of western
experiment stations are undertake.
ing elaborate investigations having
in view the water requirements Of
various soils and crops.
The chief difficulty in making
the farmers work with irrigation
rational lies in the fact that the
farmer himself will DrobabIv fee