The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-12-03
TO IRRIGATE BETS
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.

~ TiOIs VNiOtIs
The subject of irrigating has been
discussed several times, but from the
questions that we are asked there al
ways seems to be a 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:
a certain plan of working that gives
success this year may mean failure
the following year. In chemistry, by
combining certain chemicals, we get
certain results, to-day, tomorrow.
the same is true; we irrigate beets
three times this year and get 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
NSiy SdicIuIly al VI tie uulietluS lildt
have been issued by the various ex-
pertinent stations trying to determine
the minimum amount of water that is
required to produce maximum crop
of beets or grain. The results obtain
ed from this work are very interesting
from the theoretical view point; from
the practical side 1t is rather failure
and has been so admitted; it has
taught one great lesson, however, and
that is a 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
application 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
following reasons:
We found that the furrow system is
cheaper-one man can get over a
larger area of land in the same length
of time. If we slope all of the rows
in direction where the fall is not
too great. and have found thaI one
and one.half to two inches to the 100
feet gives excellent results on average
soil. The length of the rows vary
with the nature of the soil We have
tried rows running from 200 feet to
one-quarter of mile and find that
300-fool long rows were preferred by
the workmen and gave the best re-
suits.
Where the land was flooded the
amount of evaporation was much
greater than on the furrowed land, as
the 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
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 pulverized. On furrow
irrigation the soil in the rows is re-
naming 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
plastering laths: a bundle Of laths are
sawed in halves and made into these
spouts; others have made a mould
Ing out Of one and one-half by one
inch stun. This moulding was cut out
half round in the center. BY nail
ing two of these together we get a
sprout with an inch opening. II a
man can set 100 rows 1t would require
about $50 of these spouts. as they can
be taken up and moved.