The daily sentinel., 1910-09-29
-IMPtR|Ar GERMAN n
COMMISSIONER ON
HOW TO IRR|GATE
[By Associated Press. ]

Pueblo. Sept. 29.-The Water
Need Of Plants and the Means of
Securing It, was discussed at the
National Irrigation Congress by the
Imperial German Special Commits
sioner, y. Kaumanns, who treated
the subject from a scientific stand
point. He said in part:
The ordinary artificial processes
and circumstances by which the
amount of water in the soil is re-
duced are chiefly:
Il The ever increasing destruc-
ton of the forests. Even if the for
ests do not absolutely compel the
clouds to yield their stores, they GER
tainly have the good quality of re-
tarding the rapid flowing off of the
water especially on mountains and
on mountain slopes. They keep back
the flood that it may benefit the val
leys without inundating them, and so
enable their inhabitants to make use
of the water For these reasons
alone the ever increasing and ruth
less clearing of the forests should be
summarily stopped.
-. The more extensive develop
ment of mining which draws off a
considerable amount of water from
the districts in which it is carried on
%. The intensive cultivation of
land which bring this about in several
ways. 1t is possible to increase the
yield of the land considerably by
intensive cultivation, In the seven
ties, TIE sugar beet yied of Germany
was raised almost 100 per cent in
point of quality as well as quantity to
make il clear that when crop has
been doubled double amount of
water must also have been demand
ed from the ground As it is with
the sugar beets so also must 1t be
even If IN a lesser degree, with other
plants. The practice of putting other
plants between the rows also makes
heavy demands on the water supply.
In order to obtain a supply of
soil moisture the largest possible
quantity of the water coming to the
soil should be retained: and this can
be done only when the capacity of the
soil to take up moisture is at it's
maximum. For this two things are
especially pertinent; (a) the ground
should be turned Immediately after
the crop has been taken off, and be-
fore the rainy season of the year sets
in 1t should if possible, be plowed in
rough burrows. In this condition it
can absorb most of the rain that
falls. A considerable portion of the
rain Will flow off flat surface with
out doing any good. The lower Law
ers of soil, then, are to be worked
up with subsoil pillow. In this con
hection 1t should be borne in mind
that soil, when beaten down. not only
takes up water more slowly but also
gives 1t much more readily than soil
thoroughly broken up. OBJ To in
crease the water absorbing power of
the soil still further lime or organic
substances may be applied. We must
allow the plants to get all the mois-
ture they require and It is especially
important to supply them with
enough moisture the year round to
| insure a good flow of sap even If
there should happen to be drought
during the summer months. For this
reason very luxuriant growth in
spring is not advantageous. If in
spite of all precautions. scarcity of
soil should set in, the farmer should
cultivate his fields over and over
again.
"A definite, well-planned treat
ment of this question in view of the
| ''i'Ni NotS Vi dSi Atulluit is very ntceS-
sary. A clear exposition of water
rights will be the next important
task of the government Nature has
given the farmer a perfectly clear
title to the streams of the land. Wa
ter is at the foundation of all organic
life, and the forests and streams are
the arteries of agriculture. If this
natural right is not preserved en-
tirely intact, the question of water
rightA will shift itself to the detri-
ment of the farmer. because the &C
tive mobile capital behind trade and
industry will ever more and more
seek to use the streams for its own
purposes without regard for others
and is supported by the constituted
authorities. Every question of water
rights must, first of all, take into
account the deep-founded, all en-
bracing natural right of agriculture
to the forests and the streams