El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-09
The Care Of Alfalfa In the Field

farmers are the ones who have made
most progress in American irrigation.
Even before the time of Columbus irri-
cation was practiced in western Amer
lea, yet the actual working out of prob
lens of soils. crops. aIkali. drainage.
cooperation. farm Implements, markets
and transportation dates back slightly
more than half a century.
Capital and Experience Necessary.
A great proportion of the settlers
upon western irrigated lands come from
the cities and towns eOf the east, who
bring with them little cash or agri-
cultural experience. The advertise
ments that attract these people over
emphasize the bright prospects without
making reference to the experience and
money necessary for success or even
start Agricultural experience ana
sufficient money do not always bring
success in irrigation farming; and it
frequently HAPPENS that the farmers
from the east and middle west are slow
er to adapt themselves TO the new con-
ditions than the settlers from the cities.
who do not have to unlearn, but merely
to learn.
Diversities of Irrigated Lands.
There is more diversity in western ir-
rigated lands than in the rest of agri-
cultural America The conditions range
from the hot, dry weather of the south
west, where rain and frost may be al
most unknown to the high, cool val
legs, where tire snow is deep in winter
and frOsts occur in SPINNER. On the
extreme Pacific the climate of winter
and summer differs chiefly in the
amount of rainfall. and on the eastern
slope Of the Rocky mountains the an
nual extremes of temperature are as
great as anywhere in the country. Only
the most general problems are COM
- ~,
locality has its special advantages and
peculiar problems.
Newcomers will save money and
much vexatiOn if they will follow the
system used where they have settled,
for even in the methods of clearing
I land, levelng for irrigation. building
bitches and selection Of crops there is
/ often the greatest diversity
Selecting and Starting.
In selecting a farm it should be
borne in mind that il costs more to pre-
pare some lands for irrigation than 9TH
ers, and some will begin to give re-
turns quicker. The land should be
carefully examined and the cost of lev
cling and ditching considered before
| buying Desert land may take several
seasons before it becomes profitable
for crop production, and regions may
be distant from large markets that
only the higher priced fruit and dairy
products will stand shipping. One
should retain sufficient capital 10 last
through at least the first season as
an assurance against total crop failure
/ The lack of money is perhaps respon-
| sible for the enforced abandonment of
most irrigated farms.
Choice OF Crops and Rotations
In irrigated regions the tendency
seems to be to specialize in a single
I crop First grain and alfalfa are
+ grown, then follow fruits and vege-
/ tables. New land is sometimes put
/ beets in an effort to secure early re-
/ turns.
! Crop rotation is practiced very little
, in irrigated localities. due probably 10
/ the impression that the fertility of the
soils cannot be exhausted and intertiIled
! crops are grown on the same land for
an indefinite period. It is expected
/ that where orchards are planted and
! kept cleanly cultivated, this cannot
/ last, however, and some crop must be
/ grown in the orchard to supply organic
i matter to the soil. and TO prevent the
! destruction of that originally contain
/ ed There is a tempta ton where al
/ falfa grows we'll to allow it TO take
/ permanent possession of the land to the
| exclusion of crop rotations. It is a
crop that does not lend itself we'll
to rotations, it is true, on account of
| the time necessary to get il well estab-
hshed and the difficulty in blowing
] it up.
! TilIage and Water Economy
! The Irrigation farmer does not al
/ ways realize that tillage while pre-
pairing the land and intertiIIage when
, the crop is advancing are almost az
| important as the water itself. Some
| of the most prosperous irrigation com
munities are what they are today on