Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-09-24
THE VALUE OF WATER
The A B C of the Whole Business OF
Irrigation Explained TO
Water Users.
Article No. q.
(By Elias Ruud.)
Soil Texture and Plant Growth.

Whenever water flows OH an r.
rlgated field there is damage done.
Either the soil is not made suffici-
emily absorbing by cultivation and
fertilization, or the water is wrong
fully applied.
Where the land to be irrigated
consists both of hill land and more
level land there is always a difficulty
to prevent water from flowing off
the hill land, but the loss in water
and land values carried off the
hillsides can be saved by an inter
cepting ditch following the contour
of the foot Of the hill.
Land can be made to greatly in
crease its absorbing power by sub
soiling or extra deep cultivation.
This cultivation should preferably
take place in the fall, as there should
be allowed some time for the mixed
soil to become fit for plant growth,
If a crop is put in Immediately after
subsoiling it will be of some damage
to the first crop, while it will greatly
benefit the next crop probably more
than enough to offset the loss in the
first crop.
When soil has been plowed deep to
stir up the bottom and has been sub
sequently watered thoroughly to al
low the water to have its solvent in
fluence in the texture of the soil
the surface should be intensely cult
waited, but not too deep, to give
loose top dressing which will pre-
vent loss by evaporation and also
check the growth of weeds. This
after cultivation should not be deep
er than, say. four inches or SO.
1t is not the purpose of these ours
Iory remarks about irrigation to go
into detail about the many scientific
points and the many mysteries of the
various soils and their nature.
Many soils which, on tests, show rich
in the chemical constituents for fa-
yorable plant growth show poor re-
suits in practice and once in while
the apparent poor soil shows surpris-
ing results. Often the supply Of
wanting materials fail to bring the
result and often that beneficiary re-
suit is obtained after many years of
work.
Water must not be permitted to
fill all voids in the soil texture to
leave the roots entirely soaked and
surrounded by water to the exclusion
of the air. If soil is saturated to
the extent of half its absorbing cap
aclty, leaving a chance for the air to
fill the other half of space between
the particles of the soil, we have the
ideal condition for plant growth.
And not only for the plant growth
but also for the best chemical action
on the soil texture.
Only experiments with the differ
ent plots of ground and experience
can teach the farmer to bring about
those conditions, and no rigid fig
ures or rules can be furnished. But
the cultivator of the soil must under
stand this theory. A great deal Of
damage is done by the application Of
too much water Plants can be
brought to a dead stop or entirely
killed thereby, venture to say that
In lots Of cases where water is abund-
ant more damage is done by too
much water than by not enough.
The intelligent application of just
enough, that is the thing worth
while learning.
The question of time and amount
OF water to be applied by the irrlga-
tor Is an endless one. II depends on
the nature of the soil, the special
climatic conditions OF the region and
also on the kind Of crop to be grown.
A few experiments will teach the
irrigator more than a library Of text
books. II these experiments are car
ried on intellgently lots Of useful
knowledge can be gathered In n
comparatively short time. | shall for
examples, point out a few facts that
have been ascertained by carefully
conducted experiments
II wheat or any other grain gets
It's heaviest irrigation in the begin.
ming Of the season, its growth in
stem ana leaf will exceed It's growth
In grain. Water applied at the ap-
Iproach OF ripening both fills out the
kernels and hasters the ripenng pro-
soss,