Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-11-08
INEXPERIENCED
IRRIGATIONIST
Wins Prize on Twin Falls
Tract and Tells How
He Cultivated
His Land.


F alls Land & Water company's
special prize of $50 for the best
irrigated field on the tract, never
saw an irrigation ditch until he
came to Twin Falls about 18
months ago. Mr.. Olson had been
farming successfully in Nez Perez
county, Idaho, and he hesitated
long before deciding to try irriga-
ton. BY intelligent work and close
observation he succeeded in win
ming the coveted prize and no prac-
tical irrigator who has seen Mr..
OIson's prize field will dispute his
right to the honor 1t is a model
piece of work.
Mr. Olson owns the northeast
quarter of the northwest quarter of
section s., township H., range IS,
which is two miles south and three
quarters of a mile west of Kimber-
1y. His land has a slight rise in
the center and slopes gently to
the north and south. The prize
field is located in the northwest
corner. The field, which is ten
acres in extent, was cleared last
winter and plowed in April. Mr..
Olson used an ordinary walking
plow and turned his burrows seven
inches deep. He made leveler
six feet wide and twelve feet long,
using 2x6 boards and three braces.
His team handled the leveler with
out difficulty. For corrugating he
employed what is known as the Og-
den marker, which levels and cor
rugatcs at the same time. The cor
rugations ran north and south and
were 80 inches apart and from 30
10 35 rods in length. The supply
ditch ran along the south side of
the field and contained seven
checks in distance of 40 rods.
The checks regulated the flow of
water and made it possible to OBJ
tain even distribution. Ordinary
lath boxes were used, one to each
corrugation where necessary. The
cheeks were equipped with pieces
OF burlap sacking at the outlets,
which prevented washing. Not
foot of the ground washed. The
slope to the north carried the
water evenly through the corruga-
lions and the distribution was as
nearly perfect as possible.
On his prize field Mr.. Olson grew
a variety of garden products. Some
of them he irrigated once, others
twice and few three times. III
his own estimation Mr.. Olson used
more water than was necessary.
He believes that one irrigation will
suffice for onions. Potatoes will
take two irrigations after the tubers
are formed. The corn was watered
twice for II hours at time and
was damaged by too much moisture.
The beets were also irrigated twice
and likewise had too much water.
The melons were watered three
times, which was about right. The
same was true of the canteloupes
and cucumbers. The parsnips took
two irrigatious and came through
spfendidly, as did also the carrots.
MIR. Olson irrigated his navy beans
twice and they thrived wonderfully.
He harvested half ton from three
quarters of an acre. His cabbages
were irrigated too soon and toe
much, the water being turned or
them three times, yet he picked 10C
sacks from one acre. He also dug
100 sacks of onions from an acre o.
ground.
Mr.. Olson is firmly convinced
that too much water is being useC
on the Twin Falls tract. Last yea
he determined that his crop shoulc
be burned rather than drowned ant
he used the water sparingly, yet h,
believes he used too much.
II would advise the farmers t
get their crops in early" said Mr.
Olson. '1rrigate thoroughly befor
planting. Get your supply ditch a
near level as you can. You canno
irrigate anything when your ditche
run like a millrace. Be economic
al with the water. Don't be afrai
when your garden truck looks wilt
ed. Examine your garden in tn
early morning and if it looks sicxly
dig down a little and see how tn
ground is. If the soil is dry it i
time to irrigate, but the chance
are that moisture will be found
few inches below the surface. M
ground is now wet to a depth {
between three and four feet, thong
it is dry and dusty on the surface
This should give the crops a fin
start for next year and cut dow
the amount Of water used. 1t
my belief that more crops are il