The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-12-03
TO lRRIGATE BEETS
.Furrow System Is Cheapest Be.
Cause Covers Quickly.
Where Flooded Evaporation is Greater
and Leaves Soil Exceedingly Hard
and Likely to Crack-PIant
Can't Be Cultivated.
BY Prof. r. knorr.

The subject of irrigating has been
discussed several times, but from the
questions that we are asked there al
ways seems to be doubt in the mind
of the grower whether he or we are
correct in our statements.
Farming, as all else, has several
methods, or ways, in which work may
be done, each man thinking that his
system is the proper one. We must
all admit that farming is not an exact
science, but variable one, that which
is true one year may not be the next;
certain plan of working that gives
success this year may mean failure
the following year. In chemistry, by
combining certain chemicals, we get
next year and forever; in mathematics
the same is true: we irrigate beets
three times this year and get a crop;
we do the same next year and fail.
1t is good judgment that makes a
success of farming and more specially
Of irrigated farming. We have studied
very carefully all of the bulletins that
have been issued by the various ex-
pertinent stations trying TO determine
the minimum amount of water that is
required to produce a maximum crop
of beets or grain. The results obtain
ed from this work are very interesting
from the theol etical view point; from
the practical side it is rather a failure,
and has been so admitted; it has
taught one great lesson, however, and
that is, closer study of our soils,
crops, etc.
The soil and climatic conditions are
variable. with this variation the crop
requires more or less water; even if
all of the soil were alike the atmos-
phere is different, more wind or sun
shine would call for more water.
There are means that are within our
province that we can use and follow
out for the more economic use of wa
ter, for water means money; the
of it reduces our net in
come.
In many sections of the irrigated
country we find that flooding is prac-.
ticed. Though we have been guilty
Of the same thing we have now
changed our viewpoint and have taken
to row or furrow irrigation for the.
reasons:
We found that the furrow system is
man can get over
larger area of land in the same length
of time. If we slope all of the rows
in direction where the fan is not
too great. and have found thse one
and one-hah 10 two inches 10 the 100
feet gives excellent results or average
soil. The length Of the rows yary
with the nature of the soil We have
tried rows running from 900 feet TO
onequarcsv OF a mile and ind that
a60-fooa long TONS we're preferred by
the worknen and gave the best re-
suits
Where the land was flooded the
amount OF evaporation vas much
greater than on the furrowed land, as
tie water passed away the top soil
was left exceedingly hard and caused
1t to crack Before the subsoil was
sufficiently dry to permit cultivation
the surface was as dry and hard as a
brick. 1t matters not how thoroughly
we cultivate the beets after flooding
we cannot get close enough to the
beets to break up all of the crust, and
that portion between the beets in the
row cannot be pulyerized On furrow
irrigation the soil in the rows is re-
manning nice and loose, thus permit
ting the beets to expand to their full
est capacity.
On the smaller farms the growers
that are following the furrow irriga-
from the ditch. The spouts are made of
spouts that are led into the rows
from ditch. The spouts are made of
plasterfng laths; bundle OF laths are
sawed in halves and made into these
spouts; others have made mould.
ing out Of one and one-half by one
inch stuff. This moulding was cut out
q half round in the center. BY nail.
ing two of these together we get a
sprout with an inch opening, II q
man can set 100 rows it would require
about $50 Of these spouts, as they can
be taken up and moved.
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