The Ordway new era., 1910-12-30
CROPS FOR IRRIGATION
Seldom Possible to Predict Which
Will Be Most Profitable.
Too Few Irrigated Regions Where Use
OF Crop Rotation 10 Made to Keep
Up Fertility Of soli-organle
Matter Needed.

In the development OF a new agri.
cultural region 1t IL seldom possible
to predict what crops will prove the
most profitable. In almost any region
the farmer Is forced to choose from
large number of possible crops the
ones best suited to his needs and mar
kets. In any new region there 10 q
tendency to specialize on one or at
most very few crops. and In the ir.
rigated regions. particularly. this ten
dency toward a single crop Is very pro-
nounced. The use Of crop rotations
and the intelligent diversiacation OF
crops on the farm are never conspic'
uous features OF a newly opened agri-
cultural region. Grain and alfalfa are
the pioneer irrigated crops. and these
are usually followed by attempt to
grow vegetables or orchard fruits ex-
tensively Sometimes. indeed. new
land is put into vegetables. orchard
fruits or sugar beets In an attempt TO
grow vegetables or orchards. There
arc altogether too few irrigated ~
gions In this country at the present
time where any attempt Is made to-
ward the use OF crop rotations with a
view TO keeping up the productive ca
pacity OF the soil. There appears to
be a widespread Impression that the
fertility OF irrigated lands Is mex
haustible: that land may be used Tor
q single crop or for series OF In
terrified crops for an indefinite pe'
riod. The experience Of generations
Of farmers in humid regions is disre
sarded. New land II often planted to
orchard fruits. to be continuously In
fortified from the flrst and with tho
expectation Of continuing this clean
Gull ire and fruit production linden
uito In fact, whole regions arc
som lines opened to colonists. with
thet opectation that each farm Will
imu lately become and will remain
exs lively devoted to some type Of
orc' d fruits, with its consequent
| clee cultivation and without any
means of maintaining the absolutely
essential supply Of organic matter.
One of the most serious problemi
On American irrigated lands 10 that oi
organic. matter supply. AZ long a
these lands remain relatively chsaI
and the farm units are not too small
. rotation Of crops. including alfalfa
can be used. But alfalfa 10 far from
beinc an ideal rotation crop for man,
regions. and the temptation Is strong
| once n good stand Ia secured. to lei
IL remain as a permanent crop outside
the rotation. For orchards and vine
yards we lack suitable assortmen
OF annual leguminous crops to us'
for green manure. These problem
of crop rotation and Of the supply o
otgnhic matter are usually prooiem
of the older irrigated regions. thougi
in some instances the desert land
are naturally so poorly supplied Will
organic matter that this question
quickly becomes acute.
In some of the older and more high
" developed irrigated fruit regionl
farmers are now confronted with thi'
problem Of plant nutrition. This II
particularly true in those section'
where q scanty water supply requires
continuous clean tillage for moisture
conservation purposes. This clear
tillage has not only prevented the ad
/ dition of any new supply OF organic
matter, but has made conditions II
the highest degree favorable for th'
complete disintegration and CONVEX
sion Of the supply originally contained
in the soil. The Importance OF or
ganic matter can scarcely be over
estimated. It's depletion must b'
avoided II crop production Is TO b'
maintained 1t therefore becomes
prublem of the first Importance to 81
rlnn the crop rotation on the farm
and to so arrange the orchard plant
ings as to provide for the use at ire
quent intervals of such crops as vii
increase the supply of organic matte
In the soil