American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1911-01-07
FOR IRRIGATION
|eIdom Possible to Predict Which
Il Will Be Most Profitable.
90 Few irrigated Regions Where Use
Il OF Crop Rotation 10 Made to Keep
Ri Up Fertility Of eoil-Organic
II Matter Needed.

HJIM -
S In the development Of a new agri-
1ultural region 1t IL seldom possible
Exo predict what crops will prove the
most profitable. In almost any region
me farmer Is forced to choose from a
urge number Of possible crops the
ines best suited to his needs and mar
Vets. In any new region there Is a
"a tendency to specialize or n OF at
most a very few crops, and in the ir-
3t1gated regions, particularly, this ten
nency toward a single crop is very pro-
nounced. The Use Of crop rotations
and the intelligent di~versiacation OF
nrops on the farm are never conspic-
cultural region. Grain and alfalfa are
the pioneer irrigated crops, and these
are usually followed by attempt to
grow vegetables or orchard fruits ex-
tensively. Sometimes, indeed, new
land Is put into vegetables, orchard
fruits or sugar beets in an attempt to
grow vegetables or orchards. There
Are altogether too few irrigated r~-
gions in this country at the present
time where any attempt is made to-
ward the use Of crop rotations with a
view to keeping up the productive ca
pacity Of the soil. There appears to
be a widespread impression that the
Fertility Of irrigated lands is mex
Shaustible; that land may be used for
~ single crop or for a series OF In
tertilled crops for an indefinite Pc
sriod. The experience Of generations
of farmers in humid regions is disre-
garded. New land Is often planted to
orchard fruits, to be continuously in
certified from the first and with the
Expectation of continuing this clean
culture and fruit production indei-
I nitely. In fact, whole regions are
sometimes opened to colonists, with
the expectation that each farm will
Immediately become and will remain
Exclusively devoted to some type OF
orchard fruits, with it's consequent
clean cultivation and without any
means of maintaining the absolutely
essential supply Of organic matter.
One of the most serious problems
on American irrigated lands is that of
organic-matter supply. AS long as
these lands remain relatively cheap
and the farm units are not o small,
. rotation of crops, including alfalfa.
Ecan be used. But alfalfa Is far from
being an ideal rotation crop for many
regions, and the temptation is strong,
once a good stand is secured, to let
it remain as a permanent crop outside
the rotation. For orchards and vine
of annual le%guminous crops to use
for green ant These problems
OF crop rotation and of the supply of
I organic matter are usually problems
of the older irrigated regions, though
in some instances the desert lands
are naturally so poorly supplied with
organic matter that this question
quickly becomes acute.
In some of the older and more high
sly developed irrigated fruit regions
farmers are now confronted with this
problem of plant nutrition. This Is
particularly true in those sections
where a scanty water supply requires
continuous clean tillage for moisture
conservation purposes. This clean
tillage has not only prevented the adj
dition of any new supply of organic
matter. but has made conditions in
the highest degree favorable for the
complete disintegration and CONVEX
sion of the supply originally contained
In the soil. The Importance of or
Uopic matter can scarcely he over
ESTIMATED. Its depletion must be
avoided If crop production is to be
maintained. 1t therefore becomes a
problem of the first Importance to so
plan the crop rotation on the farm
and to so arrange the orchard plant
ings as to provide for the use at fire.
quent intervals of such crops as will
Increase the supply of organic matter
In the soil.