Cañon City record., 1910-06-30
IRRIGATrNG ALFALFA.

The general appearance and more
particularly the color of the plants.
are the best puides as to when water
is needed. When healthy and vigor-
Gus, alfalfa is of a light green color,
but when the supply of moisture is
sufficient the leaves take ON darker
and duller shade of green and begin
to droop and unless water is provided
both stems and leaves wither and die.
Another test is to remove handful
of soil six inches or SO beneath the
surface and compress it in the hand.
If it retains its ball like shape after
the pressure has been removed, and
shows the imprint of the fingers. the
soil is sufficiently moist, but IL it
falls apart readily it is too dry.
In connection with such tests it
is we'll to bear in mind that they are
more or less influenced by both soil
and climate. 1t is therefore necessary
to observe the growth of the plants
closely on all new alfalfa fields to
determine if possible how far such
tCotb mag bC tOiAOo oPSht SAAS ~~AASA
object being to maintain at all times
as nearly as practicable the proper
amount of moisture in the soil sur
rounding the roots of the plants to
prevent checking Of their growth. AL
falfa commonly receives careless
treatment at the hands of our west
ern irrigators. When water is avail
able and is not needed for other crops
II is usually turned on the alfalfa
fields or meadows whether these need
It or not.
There is no question that yields
of alfalfa might be considerably in
creased If more care were used in
finding out when to apply water. In
each kind of soil and under any given
set of climatic conditions there is a
moisture which will give the best
results. Under the present unskil-
full practice 1t is impossible to main
tain uniform soil moisture conditions
for any length Of time. The soil
tie water. or it is deluged with cold
water at a time when 1t needs only
heat and air. The number or irriga-
tions required depends upon the
depth and nature of the soil. the depth
TO ground water, the number OF cut
tings and the rainfall, temperature
and wind movement
Other things being equal, more fire.
euent waterings are required in the
warm valleys than in the cooler sec
a season for alfalfa ranges from four
in Montana and Wyoming to as many
as twelve in parts Of California and
Arizona In localities where water Is
scarce during part Of the season the
number of waterings, as well as the
amount used each time depends on
the available supply. 1t is a COM
mon practice in Colorado to apply
frequent and heavy irrigation in
spring when water is quite abundant
and to water less often and more
sparingly when the supply is low. and
winter irrigation, the most essential
Of all, is generally overlooked Alto
gether.
Potato planting is now over
throughout Colorado and in the
mountain districts where the seeding
was done a month ago the plants are
up. The farmers in general have put
in smaller spud acreage this season
than last and increased their stands
Of small grains. for fear the potato
ssgs and low prices will cause them
the loss suffered last year. Last sea-
son the bugs and grasshoppers great
ly reduced the potato yield and when
the farmers were confronted with an
eversupply in the market as result
Of low prices they fed part of the crop
te the stock. The prospects for a
large wheat crop are encouraging
The rains caused the wheat to stool
sat and irrigating has been going on
pretty regularly for the past month.
Everybody realizes that water will
be short later on and are making the
most Of It,
The western slopers are not In ac-
serd with the theory of Professor
HeaddeD that there Is exframa dam