Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-09-20

thorough irrigation late in the fall,
thus storing the moisture in the
soil for use the following year, it
would be a great saving of time
and labor, and materially lessen
the amount of water used during
the irrigating season, bes' les being
more economical, and as the sur
rounding areas become moistened +
through irrigation, with proper Gull
tural methods, less and less water (
will be necessary each year until /
half the amount used this year
will be sufficient. Just what the
duty of water will be on the Twin
Falls tract few years hence | am
unable TO say, but | believe that
it will be far greater than now,
as the people are becoming edu-
Gated in the use of water, and
find that less water and more at
tention to the soil give greater and
more beneficial results. This fact
was demonstrated this year on
portion of the experiment farm,
where last fall it was irrigated late,
and only one irrigation was requir-
ed this season to produce 20 bushels
of wheat to the acre and 90 bushels
of oats.
The character of the soil and the
lay of the land should indicate the
best method of applying water.
Two methods have been tried
and by burrows or corrugations.
After thorough trial, the corruga-
ton method has been given the
preference, and fully 90 per cent
of the farmers have adopted this
method.
| believe that it is the better of
the two, especially when annual
crops are grown, such as grain, etc.
While it is true that some others
claim that the duty of water is
greater by flooding than by CORFU
CATION, that has not been my cx-
periencc in the portion of the arid
district where am located.
AS it is understood that water
only goes into the soil under pres
sure, and that plants practically
stop growing when the air is ex-
cludcd, which is done by flooding,
this is Objectionable.
Then again, we understand that
plants only use the ascending or
, capillary moisture, consequently
the ideal way of applying water is
to do so without shutting off the
air, or causing the soil to bake,
: which is the result more or less ii
flooding is followed in this section.
This is especially true of nearly
all crops excepting grasses. Then
: again, water is more easily applied
by the corrugation method than by
flooding, and if the corrugation sys-
tenn is properly constructed, water
y can be applied SO that it will rur
, night and day with less labor oil
care, and with comparatively none,
if any, damage to the land.
= consider the corrugation methoo
= the best for applying water, at leas
:, on this tract, or any other trac
u having the same conditions.
u / will try to describe the system
; have advocated to the farmers oil
% this tract, the greater portion o
y whom have followed the advic,
" given:
First, the land is graded, so tina
"a the water will not be turned from
q its course in the corrugations by tn
high places. 1t is not necessary t
- have perfect outline, but Their
should always, necessarily, be fal
. enough so it will continue on it
course.
We then run the corrugations O
small burrows two feet apart in tn
= direction in which the water is in
o tended to flow. Cross bitches ar
"a then run at right angles with tn
- corrugations from 800 to 500 fee
y apart, according to the grade or fal
of the land. Check boxes are pu
in each cross ditch, the distanc
:, apart being governed by the fall @
- the land. The sharper the pitch tn
more check will be necessary. TIL
- nearer level the supply ditch is tn
- less boxes will be required, an
80 within reasonable limit, will car
ny sufficient water to irrigate tn
land intended.
ne Check boxes are SO constructc
Id that the water will flow over an
as not under the splash boards. Til
de- water is raised by these splas
he boards as high as needed, so tn;
SIS the water between the Check boxes
ne when raised to full height, wi
of stand on a level, the excess watt