The National tribune., 1911-04-27
Irrigation in Field and Garden.

Irrigation in Field and Garden.
Irrigation should be recognized as
an. agricultural art OF very wide ap-
plicability and value. Its association
with the idea of desert reclamation
has blinded the public mind TO its
value for regions where the need OF
reclamation does not exist. lrriga-
tion is means of soil improvement
TO be employed, like other means OF
improvement. when the soil needs II.
Water is the most important food
of plants. not alone because II enters
in such volume into their tissues. but
because without it in adequate amount
the plant can not use other foods In
sufficient quantity. No one questions
the wisdom of the saving and storing
of manures. nor the wisdom of gem
erouS outlay for commercial fertilizers
when required. The same is true OF
soil Improvement by means of drain
age. There should be q. similar reel
ing in regard to irrigation.
The most diligent culture and the
most generous fertilization are often
made of no avail. and actual loss is
sometimes incurred because the farm
or has not prepared himself to supply
water when needed. The water. which
he could often provide for a. mere
fraction of his expediturc for .fertil-
izers. often for less annual cost than
for the interest on his investment on
underdrainage, he has neglected to
have ready for use. and he sees the
hope of return for his years labor and
expenditure fade away during a few
weeks of drought.
There have been cases where water
has been stored at considerable eN-
pense as a protection against fire in
barns and has remained unused while
some valuable crop was burning up in
the garden. Such losses are largely
due to two things: First, the notion
that irrigation is OF Importance only
i'll arid regions: and, second, ignor-
ance of the ease and cheapness with
which a farm water supply can be
stored and distributed. 1t is very i'm
portant that the value and availability
Of water for irrigation should be rec
ognized and a supply provided on each
farm.
Irrigation. moreover. is not merely
recourse to insure the safety of d
crop. 1t has been demonstrated be-
yond question both BY practical ex-
pericnce and by systematic experiment
that growth and production can be
proftabIy pushed by irrigation even
when the natural moisture seems am
pie, and in this respect irrigation
aligns itself with fertilization and cul-
tivstion as a factor in intensive cul-
ture.
Another error grows out of the
large scale upon which irrigation is
generally known to be carried on. in
volving canals and bitches too cxpen-
siye for individual undertaking. The
impression is made that considerable
capital and engineering skill are nee
essary to success: but as A matter of
fact, profitable irrigation is easily at
tainabIe by small effort. 1t lends
itself readily to small Individual or
cooperative undertaking. developing
water whose presence may he almost
unsupported. or utilizing water which
ordins rilv is either wasted or is
positive detriment when not turned
TO profitable service.
Small irrigation works usually re-
quire neither greater skill. labor. nor
outlay than other farm Improvements
which are readily undertaken. They
do not require AS exact engineering
whole system, both for development
and storage of water, often costs
much less per acre of the area irri-
gated than does tiling. The work Is
more readily comparable to the con-
struction of open drains, coupled in
some cases with reservoir building
which is no more difficult than cellar
a similar outfit of teams. plows, and
scraper. The man of ordinary skill
in handling these tools, who can tnrn
a straight furrow, or build straight
piece of fence, and can do these
things we'll needs only a suggestion
of the feasibility of securing a home
water supply for irrigation proYid-
ing his conditions arc favorable.
The first thing to be done in all
cases is to make d careful study of
the whole situation, the loca ton OF
the water supply, the lay or the land,
and it's requirements of water. etc.
The best sources of Information on
local practices are the agricultural
experiment stations in the different
States and Territories, which arc now
very properly giving much alteration
to this subject. Farmers Bulletin.
No. 13S, entitled Irrigation in Field
and Farm" issued by the L. 5. De-
partment of Agriculture, Washington,
D. c.. supplies mass of Information
on this subject.