Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-05-02
SUIT SOIL CONDITIONS
Irrigation Becomes More Expen-
slve Year by Year.
Most Economical Distribution Of Water
Will Depend on Running It Proper
Distance--Careful Preparation
Is Necessary.

Water becomes more expensive year
by year and much more money is now
spent to make irrigation in the field
effective than formerly Given skilled
help and big heads of water our com
mon system of laterals 35 or 40 yards
apart is a good one. and the amount
OF water that can be handled by
good man by using several bitches is
only limited by the size of the head
ditch. though the ordinary hand Will
have enough TO do to run two or three
bitches full. There are now much bet
ter ditch plows than formerly, which
leave better ditch bank to keep the
water from breaking back into the lat
erals from which ii has been forced.
and good banks are the measure of
good ditch flow. which must be suited
TO the land. laying the banks farther
back in friable soils than on stiff
loans or clays. or they will cave in
when the water strikes them. The
heels OF the lays should have three
To FIVE inches cut off them or they
will cut in under the bank and the
water will find the crack and under
mine the embankment. which will fat
ten out
With really good banks TO our
bitches the upper parts of the land
We have laid off are watered In prac
tically the same way as by the check
system, where we merely depend on
the head ditch TO carry water and
larger or smaller entertainments are
put through the field. leaving level
spaces between.
The distance water should be run
from the head ditch without running
supply down the laterals will depend
on how easily it is controlled and how
much it soaks into the ground in its
passage down the field. On some i'm
pervious soil II is better TO run ii the
whole way IL we have fair head
and the lands do not exceed quarter
OF a mile.
This is exceptional. however and
would only apply to old alfalfa fields
or meadows which have become very
hard from lack of cultivation. The ir
rigator with his shovel can tell when
land has taken water enough anc
should never he deceived in this re
spect with ordinary crops. though Of
very deep rooted ones. like alfalfa
roots reach down beyond our ken.
Some soils will absorb water sc
easily that it must be assisted owe
the surface by the use Of the corruga
tor and frequent changes in the lat
erals. whilst on others It merely fill
the plowed soil and passes on easil.
over the surface a good loan vii
stand up much better than a clay II
: which the particles are so fine tina
, when thoroughly wetted they becom
soapy. settling as they dry into hard
, compact mass. which 1t is very har
! for air to re-enter. Clay soils. how
ever. will grow good crops If the
4. are carefully watered and condition
n are such that the crop comes ava
- fast. shading the ground so il will nc
scald or crack Where checks ar
made their size should be governe
by the above conditions, as well as tn
ability OF the water supply TO, food
q given area without waste of waite
, and the levels OF the land. which. {
d course. necessitate small areas. or IN
:. checks will have to be made incol
veniently high.
T., The area to be flooded may ri
IA from few feet OF lawn up to thir'
. acres. very usual size being fro
f. three.fourths to one and one-ha
. acres The economy Of the check WI
depend on how closely its size
C. ADAPTED TO the most economical di
Ia ,rihution OF water and the amount ne
II essary for the plants.