Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-02-16

pned to the soil about the growing +
plants with skill and at such times /
and in such quantities as experience (
and scientific training dictate Water
dissolves the chemicals and life Civ
ing ingredients of the soil and acts
as the vehicle upon which they are
conveyed as the assimilating organs
of the plant. 1t is reasonable. there /
fore. to say that the duplication of
water to the soil should be studied
with practically as much diligence
as the matter Of seed selection or
season and place of planting
After a few moments Of thought
full consideration on this question.
the conclusion is apparent that pre-
cipitation will forever cease to be
a better means of soil moistening I'M
til it can be regulated as to time
and quantity as one regulates a head
gate in an irrigation canal which,
of course, VIII never be.
The irrigation farmer applies wa
ter to the growing crops in such
quantities as will stimulate perfect
growth. and wnen his grain has
reached the proper height he with
holds further water until the in
stinct of the plant diverts its ener-
gies to the creation of a seed-head;
when this change takes place he APP
plies more water, with the result
that the plant is stimulated in the
direction of seed production.
With the rain-Delt farmer it is en-
tirely different; he is compelled to
take the rain whnever it comes
whittier he needs it or not, or suffer
by it's absence when it refuses to fall.
1t is easy to see what would happen
to his crop. if, about the time his
brother, the irrigator, closed down
his headgates to allow his grain to
mead" he should receive a down
pour of rain for a week, which, in
deed. is not uncommon occurrence;
he would reap harvest of straw
while the irrigator would reap har-
vest of grain.
The irrigator knows no excuses;
e he knows no failures.
Idaho's irrigation record is indeed
phenomenal IRON very insignif-
] cant beginning. practical irrigation
I has grown to dimensions too enor-
nous for the mind to grasp in pas
sing word
t The six northern counties of the
1 state, which are classed as humid,
have, until right recent years depend
! ed entirely upon the natural precip-
S itation for crop production but now
? irrigation, to greater or less ex-
q tent. is practiced in all of them, ex-
), cept Bonner and Shoshone. The av-
S erage yearly precipitation in rain
T. is about % inches. The total acreage
e in these northern counties now be-
T. ing served by irrigation would not
e exceed $4,000. which is the work
It of private and quasi-public enter
D. prise.
l. All the remaining counties of the
oldlCs vi luC tnlAit cuuAnCAn H0A lAOh
y is classed as arid, and here is where
l. the great irrigation enterprises are
If found. The mean precipitation in raiI
I, during the year would not average
e over 6 inches. The privately irrigat
n ed lands therefore. irrigated in thii
'r state by what may be termed private
D. concerns is consercatively estimat
e. ed at 100000 acres. Add thereto
II 2,63O,S33 acres of Carey act land
l- and $4,000 acres of United State
g. Reclamation lands and we have
m grand total Of 5.OO3,S3 acres of Ian,
en- situated under irrigation canals il
n, Idaho
lg Under special acts Of Congress
to Idaho has been granted 100000
We acres Of arid lands for irrigation pur
,h poses, which are commonly Gale
Carey Act lands" For the redemp
is ton OF these lands AZ irrigation
IN companies have field proposals wit
d. the State Board of Land Commission
is ers. all of which have been accepte
D. and contracts have been entered in
NJ to with most of the companies.
n These AZ different projects en-
a. brace 2.63O.S3343 acres, of whic
A. 1884 acres have been sold; {
D. the unsold acreage 27O,1S4 acres al
en- now open to public entry. The e.
Ie- timated cost of construction of thes
in canal systems aggregates the emo
in nous total of s75.66h54O. of whic
i'd S17,562.O1S.5S have been expende