Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-11-05
Irrigation from Wells.


found in the eastern part OF our STATE |
the amount of rainfall varies consid-
erably from year to year. and its oc-
currence is very irregular. as shown
by the records of the weather bureau.
Under such conditions it is to be ex.
pected that there will be years OF
drought occasionally, in which prac-
ticaliy all crops will be decreased or
entirely destroyed, and unless the
farmer has a small area under irri-
cation which will furnish the neces
Sites of life, both for himself and
stock, his position may become very
precarious.
from a small water supply the UNI
ted States Department OF Agriculture
established farm at Eads, IN eastern
Colorado in 1906, one at CheySnne'
Wyo., and one at Newcastle; Wyo.
direct supervision of the irrigation in
vestieations of the Office Of Expert
ment Stations, and no effort was
spared to equip each farm complete
iv. so that the work could be done
scientifically and with no hindrance.
A we'll was sunk at Eads and deep
we'll pump installed. A gasoline en-
cine furnishes power for lifting the
water which is stored temporarily IN
A small reservoir near by. This we'll
furnishes enough water to irrigate
little more than FIVE acres OF land.
upon which, it is maintained, enough
products can be raised to carry a
small family over winter should the
dry farming be curtailcd by drought.
The farm at Eads embraces about
fifty acres of representative land and
borders the town on the south. ABOUT
4s of these acres are farmed attet
DIR yfarming processes, part OF whieh
are cropped annually while the r.
mainder are fallowed: that Is. the
part that is cropped this year IS ta!-
lowed next, and that fallowed this
year is planted to crops the following
wear. so that one-haif only is crop
bed each year. Fallowing is the I'M
deriving principle advanced by so
many dry farming experts. The
niowed ground lying open receives
the moisture from the annual snow
and rain, and is retained by creating
a soil mulch over the surface with
harrow or some similar implement
The moisture then, for two years, Is
sufficient to produce one good crop
| During the season of 1906 it is, claim
| ed, there were enough visitors Al
Eads farm convinced that following
was one way to make dry farming !,
yrans.claes SrsifHzeiSss. whole ~r"'
As yet the easternt part of ou,
state is practically unclaimed, bu
hundreds of people are coming IN an
nually to take up homesteads which
they hope will be converted into re.
soureeful farms by. proper handling
Of the soil. Once before a few set.
tiers tried to conquer this semi-arid
country. but more or less ignorance
on the subject of dry farming was
the cause of failures. Since then the
processes of dry farming have been
studied scientifically by the Depart
ment of Agriculture and through
other sources. but in connection with
this We believe the Department of
Agriculture is doing a good work for
this state in its experiments along
the lines of utilizing small water sup
plies for the irrigation of few crops
to carry the farmer over the period
when he has had the misfortune to
labor against an uncomfortable
drought.
We understand report of these
experiments will soon be published
and it should be in the hands of ey-
cry farmer in the state and especially
the newcomer, for it is to agriculture,
perhaps even more than to mining
or any other one industry. that Colo
RADIO owes her future greatness and
prosperity. 1t is, therefore. to our
interests to keep the good class of
farmers when they come to locate,
with their families, by helping them
to help themselves when dry farming
has not been a success because Of
insufficient rainfall. If these unfav-
orablc years can be tidcd over it is
safe to say the farmer will remain,
for undoubtedly years of ample rain
fall will follow and yield abundant
harvests on this wonderfully produc-
tive soil. 1t is. therefore. to this end,
that experiments such as are being
carried on at Eads, are exceedingly
to the state.