The Ordway new era., 1909-11-19
EXPENSE OF WATER
Immediate Outlay Of Developing
Raw Land for Irrigation.
Big and Little Items Amount In As-
sresate to Considerable Sum-
Soil Must Be Provided with
Sufficient humus.

The immediate expenses OF develop
ng raw land under irrigation are CON
siderable. Many people undertake too
much and exhaust their resources be-
fore paying returns can be obtained
from the land. The new settler
should carefully consider the following
Items OF expense and make his plans
according to his resources:
The cost OF land depends great
deal on its location. The water right
which is payable in ten equal annual
lnstallments. is $50 per acre. The
maintenance water charge, the cost Of
operating the bitches. will probably be
about 81 per acre. In addition to this
there is the expense OF fencing. clear
ing. leveling. seeding and irrigating
the first year. In most cases II will
be necessary to provide the dwelling
house. stable, team. COW. poultry. wa
gon. tools, etc. No returns must be
expected from the land the first year
and but little the second year. During
this time the living expense must be
considered.
The capital OF the majority OF the
people who are settling in the irriga-
ted districts Is limited and they nat
urally want to know from what the
quickest and safest returns may be Sc.
cured. The writer has asked this
question of a great many who have
had experience in the matter In other
districts and the answer is almost in
variably alfalfa and dairying."
.-t, rt,t.
sufficient amount OF humus (decaying
vegetable matter) and nitrogen-be-
fore orcharding and gardening can be-
come highly successful. In no other
way can this be done so successfully
as by growing alfalfa and feeding It to
good dairy cows. When good stand
of alfalfa is once established its roots
will penetrate far into the subsoil.
When the alfalfa is plowed up and the
roots decay. humus that is rich in nj.
trogen will be thoroughly distributed
in the soil to much greater depth
than can be secured by the applica-
ton OF barnyard manure. Being le-
guminous plant. alfalfa Is capable of
using atmospheric nitrogen. By its
growth the soil will be built up in nj
trogen far cheaper than by the appli-
cation of commercial fertilizers. When
they hay is fed to dairy cows the
farmer will be able TO fertiliZe small
areas of land at time with the ma.
nure from the dairy. upon which he
may grow almost any crop he may de.
sire.
When a good stand of alfalfa is well
cared for 1t is very successful in any
district. It can usually be cut four
times each year. The annual yield OF
hay should run from five to nine tons
per acre. When successfully seeded
in the fall of the year. from two to
four tons OF hay per acre should be
expected the following season. The
land will be built up much faster and
the returns will be far greater If the
hay is fed to good dairy cows instead
of being sold. for rs to 80 per cent. OF
the fertiliZing substance of the hay
will be contained in the manure. The
cows should be fed In stables and lots
during the whole year, for the land is
too valuable to be used for pasture. Nc
cows should be kept that will not pro
duce 600 gallons of milk yearly.
Unless a farmer has plenty of ma
nure with which to enrich the soil, al
of his land should be sown to alfalfa
lust as soon as 1t Is ready for seed
| ing. No attempt to grow other crops
should be made until the land has sue
cessfully grown alfalfa or some Other
humus-producing crop for one or more
years, or until stable manure can bt
obtained. When available, manure
should be applied literally and well In
corporated into the soil. A light appli
cation on the surface of the ground 1!
of little benefit except to keep the sol
from drifting. Irrigation should b.
frequent enough to keep the soil mois
so that the manure will decay.