The Ordway new era., 1911-02-17
MOISTURE FOR CROPS
Great Want Of Farmer Is Water
During Dry Spells.
Many Localities In West Where Sup
ply Of Water Can be Obtained for
irrigation, Defyins Drouths
and Assuring Big Crops.

Mr.. H. H. Lyon says: II had rath-
or see the government assist in solv-
ing some of our problems Of water
supply. than to see SO much money
going into irrigation and other
schemes at enormous distances from
our markets" Owing to the fact that
copious rains have frequently fallen
soon after great battles. In which
there had been heavy artillery firing.
it was generally believed that the fir.
ing of heavy guns caused the mois-
ture with which the air was laden to
be condensed into drops. and fall to
the earth. producing rain In dry
time. In order to test this belief,
congress appropriated several thous-
and dollars, which was expended dur
ing a great drouth in Texas by army
officers. writes ]. H. Ingram in the
Country Gentleman. The heaviest
guns were fred continuously for a
week and brought no rain.
The great want of farmers Is mois-
ture in their fields when rains do not
come at the proper intervals. and
their crops suffer or are utterly de-
stroyed. The person who could dis
cover an effectual remedy for the Sc
we're drouths to which most Of our
country is subject would be a greater
benefactor than the inventor of the
steam engine or electric telegraph. A
Wisconsin writer says: "A sufficient
amount OF moisture stored up In the
earth would supply this want (rain in
q dry time) even II no rains fell from
the time Of planting crops until har.
vest time"
Had he said q sufficient amount of
water stored up on top Of the earth. l
could have agreed with him. In Colo
RADIO. Utah and California. where they
can obtain supply Of water on top Of
the ground for irrigation. they can
defy the drouths and raise good crops
every year. Water where 1t can be
turned on the fields when needed Is a
sure thing. Capillary attraction, or
the wonderful rise Of the ground wa
ter to the surface. in spite Of the at
traction Of gravitation. Is OF immense
value to agriculture when assisted by
the cultivator; but there Is a limit be-
yond which 1t will not work. and a
reservoir Of water a few feet under
his fields would be Of no use to the
farmer unless brought to the surface
by a pump.
Thre are places where there are
abundant supplies Of water stored in
the earth: but the crops suffer as bud
ly there from drouth as in any region
OF our country. In Kalamazoo. Mich.
there Is q large extent OF country un.
derneath which there ia an inexhaust.
ible supply OF water which. when
tapped by artesian wells. rises nearly
to the surface. The city Of Kalama-
ZOO. containing $4,000 Inhabitants. 10
fully supplied by artesian wells. The
water Is underneath the valley like .
shallow lake. and is forced up nearly
to the surface. when tapped. by the
pressure Of the rain water descend
ing from the surrounding hills. The
bountiful reservoir Is too deep for
capillary attraction to draw 1t up.
and when the writer was there du.
ring an August drouth there was no
green to be seen In the meadows. and
the grass in the city park had to be
watered to keep 1t alive.
great Desert OF Sahara. Wherever ar.
tesian wells have been bored a plenti.
fhl supply has been found. and II ca.
pillary attraction could bring 1t up.
there would be no desert there. Level
land plowed nine inches deep will re.
tain all the rain water 1t is capable OF
absorbing. and A. much as II plowed
deeper. OF course clayey soils will re.
tain more than sandy. When the rain
water has sunk much below the depth
We usually plow. 1t has escaped be.
yond the power Of capillary attraction
to bring It back to the surface.
have been In coal mines In Pennsyl.
vania. from which the steam pump
was working night and day hosting
out a stream Of water nearly enough
to turn a mill. and yet the farmers
fields near by were suffering for lack
Of It.
Capillary attraction often receives
credit for moisture which II does not
supply. but which is supplied by con
densation OF the moisture in the at
mosphere-like the condensation oi
the drops on the outside OF the ice
pitcher. You break the crust that
has formed on the surface OF your
corn field. and expose the cooler earth
below. the air coming in contact with
that cooler earth imparts moisture to
1t. The condensation Ia not SO ap
parent as in the case Of the ice.water
pitcher. because the soil absorbs It.
which the pitcher does not The gov
eminent has tried to get rain by fir
ing cannon and failed. It Is extreme
ly doubtful whether 1t could get any
water.supply for Mr.. Lyon except by
irrigation.