The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-05-29

the farmer neglects to irrigate old
alfalfa or clover fields because of the
rain, these crops are liable to suffer
because of lack of attention and mois-
ture in the near future.
A force known as capillary attrac-
tion is constantly bringing moisture
towards the surface from the lower
depth, where it is evaporateds but as
the immediate surface becomes some
what dry, this acts as check on the
moisture coming to the surface, con-
sequently less water Is evaporated
from the soil at this time.
When rain occurs connection is
again established between the surface
soil and the lower depth, and the
moisture is again coming to the sur
face and being evaporated. Soon the
soil becomes more dry than had there
not been rain at all This, however,
is not true If 1t had sufficient rain to
thoroughly saturate the ground, but
my observation has led me to believe
that the recent rain has simply con-
nected the surface with the lower
strata and consequently more water
is being lost from the soil at the pres
cDC LlllC, do q WAolO, tAoA LhOuSh
the rains had not occurred.
Last year In May and June we had
quite number of quite heavy rains,
and many of the farmers turned the
water off to waste, neglecting to use
the water, and later on were utterly
unable to supply water fast enough to
save their crops from injury. This
condition should not be allowed to
occur again, and farmers should irri-
gate just the same through the sum-
mer time as though no rain had oc-
Cured. OF course, with regard to re-
Gently planted alfalfa or clover or
seed very near the surface, irrigation
can be held up for few days, but my
advice to all farmers Is not to trust
| the rain too much. Each farmer is
allowed so much water and 1t is am
pie for all his needs and some to
spare, but when the irrigation season
begins he should be prepared to take
care of his crop in systematic way
without regard to the clouds. I could
cite instances where people have
planted crops and trusted to the rains
and have been heavy losers.
This is especially true in this coun-
| try with regard to potatoes. This
| time of the season wherever potatoes
are to be planted, the ground should
be thoroughly irrigated first, then
narrowed down again and potatoes
planted. No more irrigation will
| then be necessary until the tubers are
be ginning to set which is evidenced
by blossoms that will show on pota-
toes.
In a moderately dry soil the pota-
toes have habit of setting their tu-
bers all at once, and then by irrigat-
ing them Systematically, keeping
| them moist, they will all grow in a
more even size than they otherwise
would with haphazard irrigation.
On one acre on the experiment
farm last year the ground was irri-
| gated before planting, and then no
other irrigation was applied until af-
| ter the tubers had set. This acre
produced upwards of 400 bushels OF
good even sized potatoes, while other
acres conducted in different ways did
not yield as much. On one acre that
was planted when the soil was dry,
then irrigated up resulted in about
half stand, and then being irrigat-
ed three times, we only got 70 bush
els per acre, and the same treatment
was given with regard to the cultiva-
ton that was given the acre that pro-
duced 400 bushels.
| To those who are planting on new
| ground more water is required than
on old ground, and with regard to
wheat an doats they should be watch
| ed and irrigated very soon. Then no
more water will be necessary until
the grain comes to thin milk, then
one light irrigation ought to be suffi-
cient.
Of course no rule can be laid down
as the soil varies in depth, also some
places are rocky, and where the
ground is shallow 1t requires more
frequent irrigation, but of consider
able less time, so that in the aggre-
cation if properly handled, but little
more water would be required on
shallow or rocky soil than on deeper
soil, the only difference being more
| FREQUENT irrigation of shorter per-
iod of time. ISL
The time for planting potatoes,
| corn and beans is at hand and the
sooner they are in the ground the bet
ter. These facts were CLEANED from
three years record on the Twin Falls
experimental farm, that the best
time for planting potatoes for the
| bulk Of the crop, corn and beans, Is
from May 20 to Is.
ALEXANDER MCPHERSON,
/