Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1911-01-06

80 AZ tHic anu - : ivti anu 1C''
much stress cannot be laid upon IL.
Situated as We are in a section
where the rain and snow fall is
very l6N. wc afs cepeudeni almost
absolutely upon irrigation water
to Increase cur agricultural pOssi-
Aiiies. The farming lands are
unnmited within the borders o. our
stae -. bu, there is decided limit
to the water supply The question
then, is s~nol how much land haze
We? but how much water have
we at our disposag
The state Of Utab represents an
area D eEaq 6z0e' squsze miies. II
which only i.1o0 sqnare mics are
ctsiiiyaiad. and tess than i-0ge
squar. nJiles er slightly lnaer Ia
per cent Of the total are actually
irrigated. idaho is ii a similar
coarilioR. Wisai We neel most OF
al is a distFi5Gaioa Of the Wafer n
such a way that the greatest pos
sible returns can be obtained. Tho
problem IS rci difficult Of solution
Il yre viii cely apply ourselves to
study cf conditions as We find
them and to the Information avail
alsls In the short iime al ny dis
posa. | hope to open up line OF
thought which will help some Of
You in your work for, after al.
each Of vcuf individual problems
must 3e solved by yourselves
The amount OF plant growth IS
dependent in a decided measure
upon the amount Of moisture.
within certain limits. in the soil
The supplying and maintaining OF
this moisture in an amount which
will bring the greatest return Is,
then, our problem.
The water found in soils is of
three kinds:
ist. Free water. or the water
found between the soil particles Of
saturated soil. :
2nd. Capillary water. or that
which Is held in thin film around
each OF the soil particlues in a
moist but not saturated soil. This
is the wafer used by the plant in
is growth.
3rd. Microscopic water, which Is
|the water held bv The SOIL but
which. in all probability is not used
he plant
only aqueous or Mater plants
can grow in a soil containing free
water. Hence our problem is eon-
fined to the regulation of the cap-
iIlaIy water only, and 10 the con-
diiions which govern plant growth
There are three WAYS Dx which
soil moisture can escape:
Isl By sinking into deep soils
oui of reach Of the plant roots. and
escaping by under drainage.
? BY eNaporasing from The sur
face
3rd. BY passing through the plant
Itself in process known as trans
piration
~ these losses can be gov
erned 60 certain extent The first |
by making lighter applications of |
water at each irrigation. The sec
ond. or surface evaporation. can be !
by cuitNaIing the surface |
sufficient TO form a dust mulch.
thus closing up the openings ef /
the capillary tubes which form /
when The surface soil begins 10 dry
out And the third or transpira-
lion can be checked by the addi-
lion Of soil fertility or by ordinary
Thus. the last TIVE can
be governed by the simple opera
ion Of stirring The surface after
an irrigation.
The thought Is prevalent among
farmers that certain amount of
water must be used by plant in
order to produce certain weight
81 dry matter. As early as 1929
found that it required
esS water to produce pound Of
Try matter in a plant growing in
/ rich soil where the plant food
vas evenly balanced. than in one
VI opposite nature. Later, in 1918
, German Investigator found that
he yield of dry matter was great
st where Transportation was least.
lie also found that the enriching of
H. soil enabled the plant to pro-
luce dry matter With less water.
Now he question may arise in
our minds: Why should eultlva-
ion decrease the amount of wafer
ctuaIly used by the plants Guilt
alton permits the air and sunshine
q enter the soil more readilv.