The Winslow mail., 1911-03-11
LOOK TO IRRIGATION
Last Seasons Drought Causes
Minnesotans to Think.
Want Some insurance Against Loss or
Such Crops as Fruit, Garden
Truck and Some Varieties of
Field Products.

How last seasons drought has set
thoughtful men in Minnesota to con-
sidering the possibilities of irrigation
as an insurance against the loss OF
crops-at least of such crops as are
grown on limited areas, like fruit,
garden truck and some varieties OF
field products-is shown by an arti-
Gle by F. L. Marsh of Champlin, IN
Farm, Stock and Home, which is in
part as follows:
Irrigation in arid regions is
difficult problem. So is conservation
of soil moisture in semi-arid regions.
But no one thinks it impious or fool
hardy to try either. When a section
usually humid becomes temporarily
more than semi-arid, can we not at
least try to prevent harm, and to
some extent make up the deficiency?
Gasoline or wind power is cheap,
and water is, in many localities, plen-
tiful. Why not use it? l am aware
that 1t is mans size problem. When
we see people try to wet their gar
dens with sprinkling can, and then
say watering is Of no benefit, we
should recollect that an inch Of rain
fall means more than 900 barrels to
the acre, and six barrels to the square
rod. And it needs not one inch, but
several. Thus something more Is
needed than the pail method; the
light application that makes a sur
face crust and leaves the soil dryer
after day of sunshine than 1t was
before. A thorough soaking Is re-
Quired, and the amount of water it
takes on sandy land is surprising.
con the other hand, the amount
of water a good pump will throw in
a day is surprising. The amount that
can be raised on an acre or two of
well fertilized, well titled, and well
watered land is very surprising. An
other favorable point is, when it is
dry it is likely to be hot, and soaking
with cold water is better than the
scalding vapor bath from sprinkling
the hot soil.
"Likely it will be wet next year?
How do you know? 1t will take much
more rain than we have had yet to
put the subsoil in decently moist con-
dition, and lot Of rain or snow to
make a store for next seasons con-
servation or waste. (Which of the
two shall it be?)
where shall we get the water?
What about the thousands of lakes
and streams in Minnesota? Can we
make no use of them? What about
that wonderful underground lake that
lies under all this drift-covered re-
gion; often only few feet from the
surface, and in strata through which
water will flow freely to a drive
point? Can't we tap and use that
perhaps with reservoirs made water
tight with mud as are our lakes-if
we cannot reach lake or stream?
"Now l can't tell much about how
to irrigate. know how I intend
to try next season if I don't put it off
and forget; but my method might not
suit another farm, and I hope to
know the how better later. I do
knoW that 1 could have made several
hundred dollars on strawberry
patch which the hot sun and drying
winds were running while we were
having we'll diggers' luck trying to
get water enough to supply the en-
gine, pump and pipes 1 already had.
l know we had results from what
water we did get, and no harm. My
chief error was in waiting till the
water was needed before I tried to
get it.
"I have never seen season with
out drought here or in the east;
when a good soaking sometimes dur
ing the growing season would not
have been a great benefit to berries,
potatoes, garden stuff, grass land,
and-in lesser degree, perhaps-to
all other crops. 1 would not suggest
going into the matter heavily or
thoughtlessly, but why not try it on
little patch at least? 1t would give
some vegetables and fruit for winter
and many have none this year A
man here in the village has pumped
water on his garden by hand, and has
more crop than many times the land
without water He did not sprinkle
but kept the pump going for hours at
a time"