The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-06
IRRIGATION
METHODS
rOIrRTEEN APPROVED WAYS
TO BE ILLUSTRATED
AT SPOKANE.
Fifteen Acre Tract to Be Used for
the Purpose -Underground Dis
tribution of Water Is One APP
proved Method - Something
About This and Other Thirteen.

Fourteen approved methods of IT.
rigating, adapted to practically every
lind of land and the various root, tree
and vine crops, will be exhibited on
o 15-acre tract in the Spokane valley
within stone's throw of the city limits
:, connection with the seventeenth
sossions of the national irrigation con-
gress in Spokane August 9 to IA, says
spokane newspaper dispatch.
The purpose is to afford the delegates
n the congress and visitors an oppor-
unity to study the best known means
Of supplying moisture by articfiial
means to orchards, berry and sugar beet
fields, vineyards and hay and grain
lands There will also be exhibitions
nv manufacturers of apparatus used in
modern irrigation. Ten acres of land
has been set aside for displays of ma
chinery.
What is considered by experts to be
the acme of perfected irrigation, and
at the same time the most economical
method will be shown in the use Of
porous tile pipe laid under the ground.
The principle is the antithesis OF drain
age in that the pores and joints of the
nine give out sufficient water to supply
tbe plant life above them. This plan
is declared to be practicable in supply
ing moisture for fruit trees, vegetables,
berries aud almost every kind of pro-
duct. the advantage being that the
water carried by the pipes is discharged
directly below the roots of the plants
instead of on the surface of the soil.
In comparison with the foregoing
plan there will be shown the primitive
methods practiced by irrigators before
it was learned how to distribute water
economically and to the best advantage.
No grading or leveling was done on
this tract; in fact, in contour it is as
nature left it. Water is taken to the
highest point on the land to distribute
itself over the ground The idea in
this is to show waste of water and soil
by washing and erosion.
The individual system, also to be
shown, calls for piping water to every
tree To make it effective the water
must have head. The pipe, which
may be small, is run to within three
feet Of tree to discharge water into
circular ditch or basin built around
the tree. This method is desirable in
districts where small amount of
water is desired to do large amount
of irrigating. There is no loss from
evaporation or seepage, and only the
ground in which the tree grows re-
celveS the water The cost of INSTALL
ing this system is much larger than
for the open ditch or dume system, but
the difference is soon made up on the
cost Of the water, or where it is paid
Tor by the acre-foot
Sub-irriagting by means of open dit
ches will also be shown. The bitches
are OF such depth that the water is
absorbed without moistenig the sur
lace. This method is advantageous
Where soil has a tendency to bake or
become crusted after watering.
Two tracts will show the practical
olllty OF watering steep land in open
ultches. The inclines on one tract are
from 80 to degrees. The other shows
'ne terrace system, water being drop
pea from one terrace to the other. It
VIII be shown that land can be irrigat-
20 by this plan without washing or
erosion
one form of the corrugation system
IS applied to soil where the land slopes
III more than one direction, the bitches
pelhg made to follow the natural coun-
Jour- which needs no grading. Water
- supplied through one box and the
ul'ches spread out in fan shape over
the land.
another plan of the so-called CORFU
sa.lon Idea, best adapted to sugar beet,
aIlal1a and grain lands with gentle
'iope' shows water distribution by
uieanS OF N-shaped bitches or rills ~
inCnes deep and about 10 inches apart.
Inc marginal dixie or basin system
VI irrigation shows bitches built sur
FUNDING the tract of varying size run
s from one to ten acres, in area.
~ practice this method successfully
.le land must be level or have only a
son!e slope. Sufficient head may be
au III the water itself to cause it to
spread over the ground
on another tract is the dixie system,
, Tilich follows the natural contour of
ne iahd. This method is adapted to
e eaUu u with a slope, but is not practi-
va LOT level land. It is similar to the
la au0 ulke system, but the first cost is
y, dnu the results not as satisfactory.
81 Inc side dixie system is used to best
liant on ground with a uniform
IOd The method is to build dikes
i iUT 1eet apart, from eight to twelve
ao tnes nigh, depending upon the char
4bo oi OF the soil. Water is taken from
o Mle mead ditch and spread in sheet
sns ei the areas between the dikes. The
pius passes into ditch and is car.
fied to the next area.
sr. ine sprinkler plan calls for spraying
or -nhlers arranged between the trees
tbon se'aoie rows and so placed that
toy toy water all the ground. This sys.