The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1908-07-04

mas le1n made during the las quar-
ter OF a century in the regulation
aud distribution ol water tor lrrl
cation purposes throughout the
arid and Scml.arid sections ol tn
west, is n matter OF the greatesl
importance in the development OF
these regions. Great as has beer
this advancement and wonderful a.
Is It's %luiluncCe upon the matefiaI
resources, the lack OF proper know
ledge as To- the duty OF water hd.
rrtatd, d, and will continue Ia ~
tafd, the irrigation farmer, until h.
has lull access to, aud avails HIM
sell oi, the best Information on tn
subject
The fundamental necessity ri thu
irrigation farmer TODAY is the con
ScTvation OF moisture, whether sup
pllrd hy rainfall OF by TT II G ~
methods. As thu water rights ~
our streams are taken, as our po
puialion increases and civilization
advances, a more extensive as well
as a more intensive use OF the "A
valuable supply oi water is newt
able. There arr but lew streams
in the irrigation west TO-DAY in which
til available supply Tor direct ir.
rigatlon has not been fully taken.
he demand tor water has contin
urd to increase. 10 meet his con.
stantly growing demand the ma.
tiCnal government has i%naugurated
an irrigation scheme unparalleled
IN the worlds history. and great
corporations are organized Tor &C.
quItlng water rights, constructing
dams, building eservoirs and d.
uIbuting canals tor the reclamation
Ut land, rich IN the elements o I
plant lite.
Vast as are the irrigation enter
prises under construction, stupen.
IOus as are the sums being rxpcnd.
ed, wonderful as are the engineer
ng features OF their dcvising, vet
hey are but elemental IN their
character as compared with the
real work OF the ludicious applica.
ton OF water to the growing crops.
The ludiclous application OF water
prcsupposrs that the irrIgationist
has definite information on climatic
conditions, character oi the soil,
preparation OF the soil nature OF
the crop, and local conditions.
What rs IN, duty OF waterP
That rs the supreme question OF the
irrigation farmer. Upon the cor.
rect answer to this question de.
ponds the financial succesS oil every
irrigation enterprise. Not only
must We know this IN order to est.
mate the cost OF projecting works
and a|scertaining tn. dimensions OF
reservoirs and canals, but we must
know It in order that the best r..
suits may be- obtained from grow.
my crops. The experiments that
have been conducted both by the
National Government and hy in.
dlviduals have o as yet afforded
reliable data on the subject. These
experiments however, have fully
demonstrated that too much moist.
ure Is Just as injurious 10 the grow
tn OF plant lite as too little. With
uniform climatic conditions, soil,
preparations and local cond tons,
the duty Ut water varies primarily
with the crop. Again It wares
with the character OF the sol, sand,
soil requiring o water than
clayey soil; IL varies with the
amount OF precipitation and eva.
poration; u varies with the condl
ton OF the bitches, and above all
with the skill and judgement OF the
lrrlgator.
From experiments conducted by
Prot. Samuel Fortler in Wyoming,
II was found thar good results were
obtained 10y the application OF Loo
acre icet IN q i%rrlgations On clover:
f.IO IN two l%rrlgatlons on peas. oS
in one irrigation OF barley; LA ~
two lrrlgatlons on oats, and that
the average OF all the experiments
showed Ia acre teet used upon
each acre. In southern California,
which is extremely arid, and where
the water, being valuable, is hand
led with great care, hy the use vi
sub-irrlgation, the duty has in
some cases reached as high as one.
thousand acres per second loot.
This fully demonstrates the posi-.
hillties OF the duty OF water when
careful methods in designing and
constructing distrihutarles, and
care and experience are employed
in handling.
Suhirrigation presupposes a
loamy and siity soil where capillary
action is greatest. A clay sub. soil
greatly conduces TO It's effective.
ness Ii rs not so effective n
gravelly or sandy soils, because OF
the tendency OF the water to drain
through these. The advantages
OF sublrrigatIon are; The small
loss by evaporation and seepage;
the soil is less liable TO become al.
kalied a small head may he o
ventiently and advantageously EN-.
ployed, "A small disbursement of th,