Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1907-01-10

he rate OF increase DOtn IN the
irrigated area of Idaho and the pop
ulation on irrigated tracts is great
er today than ever before. Farming
communities are spring ing up in
southern Idaho as if by magic.
During a period of II years, from
1889 to 1900, the increase in the
irrigated area was 146 per cent,
while in the last years it has been
even greater or about 168 per cent.
Not only is the immigration large
but the settlers as class are in
telligent and industrious. Indeed,
there is a surprisingly large num-
ber of good fan mers on these new
tracts.
Irrigation is an extra expense,
but to make farming profitable
large yields must be secured. Max
IDum production demands diversi-
fled farming and crop rotation. Ir-
rigation thus compels men to adopt
methods that count for continued
fertility and high productivity OF
the land. Except for certain
mixed farming is becoming the gen.
seral practice on irrigated lands.
The present settlements on new
tracts tend toward small farm units.
This will mean better roads, better
schools and greater agricultural
wealth than if the farms were
larger.
An appreciation Of certain facts
would greatly advance irrigation
farming in Idaho. Chief among
these is that the use of more water
than is necessary for the best re-
suits is waste of valuable COM
modify and an injury to the crop
and the soil. In some districts large
amounts of water are used and be-
lieved to be necessary. Experience,
however, has shown that less water
in most instances give results
equally as good or even better.
Cultivation of such crops as per-
nit of il as essential where irriga-
tion is practiced as where it is not
and the same principles apply. II
is not until in comparatively re-
cent years that this fact has been
generally realized. The idea that
irrigation does away with the ne
cessity for cultivation has been
quite prevalent. This has been
very largely due to the abundance OF
water Most men, moreover, would
rather irrigate than cultivate.
Water whether it comes from the
clouds or is derived from a stream
promotes growth ia the same way.
Moisture in the proper amount in
the soil is the important thing.
When the rainfall is insufficient
irrigation may supplement it. The
primitive idea ia regard to irriga-
1ion was that spreading water over
.the ground would have beneficial
effect similar to that of rain. We
have learned, however, that irriga-
ition water need not enter the sol
in the same way as rain. The
essential thing is to convey water
40 the roots and distribute 1t even
ly through the soil and in so doing
TO wet the surafco as little as pos
siblc. The rain that is real bcnc
fit in an irrigated district is tina
which comes insthc fall, winter anS
early spring. II is generally con
cl.adcd that IL were better If M
rain fell during the. summer. Tn
showers are Irregular, uncertain
and often so light as to be of no val
ss1-A IL Cd xy~ - -,
down to moisture there may be Al
actual loss as the connection be
tween the air and the moist soil /
restored permitting the rise Q
moisture to the surface. The sam
is true where the rainfall is abun
dant. Frequent showers may kee
the surface moist, and an that con
dition the loss by evaporation ma
greatly exceed that Of a cultivate
soil in a dry country. 1t is casie
10 retain moisture under arid con
ditions than where frequent sum
Iner sho ~ers are prevalent.
The water stored in the soil i
winter is very important for Gro
production, indeed. Investigation
by the Utah experiment static
have shown that the moistur
stored in the soil by rain and sno'
or irrigation during winter an
spring has an earning value sui
prisingly greater than summer il
Iigation. Some attention shoul
therefore be given to the conserv;
ton of the winter precipitation
This may be done by blowing in tt
fall TO receive moisture and cult
waiting in spring to retain it. tt
IDEA that irrigation alone is of walt