The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1910-12-07
IRRIGATION AN ART
New Settlers Having a Strenuous
Time With Water.
As Much Skill Required to Become
Proficient Irrigator as Any Other
Business-Many Disheartened
Farmers Return East.


The new settlers are surely having
strenuous time experimenting with
irrigation, writes J. H.. Wilkinson of
Butte county. s. D., in Dakota Farmer.
Put an eastern farmer on a bucking
broncho and send him over the range
to round up a bunch of wild steers
and he will parallel the new settler in
his efforts to spread the irrigation wa
tiers over his lands. Some appear to
be born irrigators and their crops are
living examples of their expert opera
tons, while on other ranches the wa
ter breaks loose and goes into the
roads or 1t takes SO long to cover a
crop with water that by the time the
lower field is irrigated the upper one
is nearly drowned out and ruined.
Side by side will be found farms
where one has irrigated SO as to pro-
duce a bountiful crop while his neigh
Dor In experimenting has ignobly
failed-worse even than II he had no
water at all. One man worked two
weeks running his full allowance of
water In an effort to irrigate IS acres
and only covered half his area. A city
raised man taking charge OF farm
would not encounter more difficulties
than does the practical eastern farmer
when he starts in under irrigation.
In a two days trip over the irrigat-
ed district I saw some good crops. but
these were an exception rather than
a rule. Some settlers remarked that
they were experimenting this year and
did not expect big crops. Others had
turned their stock into large grain
fields which they regarded as unprofit-
able to harvest and thresh. These
people would have added largely to
their revenue. hal they moved their
grain and stacked 1t for hay. Along
the main roads for many miles where
the country was level the highways
were an endless sea of mud, as IL the
highest aim OF irrigation was TO flood
the roads. OF the settlers coming
from the humid regions of the east to
the arid lands of the west more than
one-half fail and return to their for
mer places or go elsewhere to seek
their fortune. Likewise those taking
land under irrigation at a cost of
about $50 per acre. face a herculean
task and many. a large majority. will
fail OF their expectations.
II will require as much skill. study
and education by practical experience
to become a thoroughly successful ir
rigator as 1t would for a well educated
man to become a good lawyer. While
many will fail or meet with only par
tial success this year. they. like set
tiers on dry ranches. need not be dis
heartened or lose faith in the country.
They only need to look around TO find
successful farmers under both sys-
tens. ! have seen wheat already har
vested without irrigation that will
yield 20 bushels per acre. One of the
driest OF dry land farmers. who has
titled his land for rs years In this sec
ton. already has large hay stacks
with which TO winter his stock and
will this year build commodious
house in town. where he contemplates
moving when he tires Of the farm.
Irrigation opens up new field for
our experiment stations /. work out
cultural methods best adapted 10 each
kind Of grain and vegetables. To illus
trate, II you plant corn and potatoes
side by side and irrigate each equally,
the potatoes will be ruined with over
irrigation. or the corn be a short crop
II the potatoes are irrigated just right.
II in a garden you plant cabbage. pars-
nips and carrots side by side and irri-
gate so as to produce the largest cab
bage crop. you will rot out your car
rots and parsnips.