The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1911-12-14

10 IN Zl.OS IONS
20 in 1879 tons
The soil is a sandy loan with ex-
cellent under drainage.
Now, after studying this table for
a minute, if l were to ask, for ex-
ample. What would be the most
economical distribution of water un-
der these conditions for sugar beets?"
many of you would answer: "At the
rate of fifteen acre-inches per acre.
because the fifteen inch application
gave the greatest yield.
Let us look at it from a new point
of view. We inferred in the opening
of this talk that the value of the
land is dependent to a very great ex-
tent upon the water supply. Let us
make this point a little clearer.
Our land without irrigation is linn
tied practically to the growing of
wheat. In Idaho the yield is about
25 bushels per acre, allowing an am
pie margin. Taking the figures of
several leading dry farmers the av-
cost of producing a crop is
EXAMPLE l.
% bu. wheat at Csc .$16.25
S~ubtracting cost .......... $50
leaves as profit on land alone S1O.65
Any additional profit, then, over
S10.65 per acre which a farmer may
obtain through irrigation, is due to
the irrigation and that alone. Com
these values we have, taking
an average crop of sugar beets as
IN example:
EXAMPLE 2.
tons at $3.50 $4,000
as the total return
........... ...... 31.00
as cost of production
have $4,000
as the profit on land and
water.
s~ubtracting .......... 1865
the profit on land alone,
We have .$4S.35
as the profit on the water
per acre foot approxim-
mately, when applied to
one acre.
Thus the profit on the water is
'yer four times the profit on the
and alone. This being the case we
hould figure our crop returns not
n terms of acres of land but acre
inches of water. We will not then
onfine our fifteen acre inches of wa
er to one acre of land in order that
re may reap the greatest possible
onnage on that one acre, but will
pread it over a larger area. so that
re can get greater returns from our
For example, if we spread
NJ ffffAD, o,1r.o s.,I-1- - A
of ground we will reap, accord
lg to table 3, 8 times 1876, or 51.2S
ons as compared with 21.S9 tons if
he fifteen acre inches are confined
} the one acre of land. Or using
ats as another example, we get a
ield of 81 bushels of oats with a
Inch application of water and SO
ushels with a 20 inch application.
'ow, if we were to spread the 20
lches over 4 acres of ground, max
lg an application of 5 inches on
ach acre, we would get a yield of
times 81, or 24S bushels of oats
those four acres with the same
mount of water that it took to pro-
lce 80 bushels On one acre. Wheth-
or not this is a paying proposition
IN be determined by solving a sim
e problem in arithmetic. The aver
&c cost of producing and harvesting
l acre of irrigated oats is about SIS.
PROBLEM 8.
20 inches of water over / acre nro-
ices 80 bushels of oats.
bu. oats at SOC .$41.OO
ISL 500
oft on land and water ....$33.OO
oft on land only ........ 1000
oft on water alone .....$28.00
20 acre inches Of water over 4
res produces 24S bushels oats.
8 bu. oats at SOC ........$124.0O
'st on 4 acres .......... 1900
Oft on land and water ~...$92.0O
on land alone ........ 1000
oft on water alone ......$52.Oo
Thus the profit is more than dou-
I'd. The maximum yield per acre Of
there, is much less important
an the maximum yield per acre
n of water.