The Delta independent., 1912-07-12
THE WATER IN THE SOIL.
ALEX M'PHERSON.-

1
the irrigator: How am l to know
how much water to apply to my
crops" There are ways by which
this can be done and the time will
come when every irrigator will
avail himself of these means.
Water is the most valuable thing
in the arid regions-more valuable
than gold or silver or any other of
our resources or products. There
fore, the water supply and its use
consideration of the best minds. 1
have found by actual experience.
that sixteen inches of water. in
cluding rainfall during the growing
season, will produce seventy-five
bushels of wheat and 130 bushels
of oats. if properly distributed and
conserved.
More water added to the soil did
not increase its production, but
rather decreased it. Less water
than this produced nearly as much
rs the amount given. Hence the
water that is added to the soil in
excess of the needs of the plant is
wasting wealth and it behooves the
irrigator, or the men who are using
water, to study this question well.
so they may make the water do
its whole duty, and thus increase
the area of tillable land. Many who
/ L.
upon it as a mysterious work. l
! invariably say to these men. II they
pose as farmers: DO you know
when soil is in good condition. Ii
they answer yes, then l tell them
to keep it that way. They do not
have to wait for rain; they can sup
ply the water themselves, and hence
there is no excuse for not keeping
it in good condition so far as mois-
ture is concerned.
Next, how are we to find out
how much walter to apply to the
soil | have uesd the following
plan: Take ship auger with a
shank tree three feet long or more.
bore into the ground before the
crops are planted. take all of the
soil and put it into receptacle.
Properly cover to prevent loss OF
moisture and take 1t to a drug store
and weigh it. Then take this same
sol and place it in an oven or any
where a temperature of 104 degrees
may be obtained, until thoroughly
dried. Then weigh the soil again, 4,
N ediately after irrigating, how
much water the soil contains when
it is saturated, and II you walt "a
hours and take a sample in a like
manner it will tell. approximately.
how much water the soil holds in
form that plants can use.
In fact. successful dry farmers in
the Northwest follow this plan out
every year OF course precipitation
there comes in the late fall. winter
and early spring, and they find If
they have equal to twelve or fifteen
inches of water available for their
Giants that they can count on "A
crop If not, they must conserve
this moisture by sumsmer fallowing
and await more precipitation. Then
again, other tests may be used. Dig
into the ground three or four inch
es, take a handful of the soil and
then it is unnecessary To supply
m DISTURB OF course this presup-
poses that there is moisture down
below and that the ground is not
too sandy. Some may say this is too
much trouble, but they should be
willing to trouble themselves "a lit
tie when there is money in 1t.
| have personally observed that
men are pouring water onto their
soil which. If used intelligently and
conserved. would water two to four
times as much land as they are now
irrigating. If one acre will produce
net income of $50 and upward,
and by little investigation they
could, with the same amount of
water, cultivate four acres mad get
better crops, is it not worth Il lit
tie investigation? The intelligent
farmer, whether scientific or not.
wants to make money out of his
farming operations. If he owns
water. he wants to turn that wator
into money that he may have the ne
cessities, or even the luxuries of