American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-05-02
= II1u0AnON.
Contlnued from pscs 1.


u m~odiAcation 81 the flooding
method just described i flooding be-
tween lsvscs Or borders. This method
requires more preparation Of the sur
face bsfors irrigating than does any
other msthod, but requires less labor
IN Supplying the water and the water
can b. applied without any waste. A
supply ditch is run across the upper
end Of the Held, running cross the
greatest slope. From this supply
ditch parallel levels or borders arc
run down the slope 1t intervals Of 40
to 50 feet dividing the land into .
series Of fields. Each land Is made
level between borders, 20 that the
water can b made TO dow down The
slope in . sheet extending asros the
land from border to border. When
the slope il excessive or irregular
contour borders are used. II the
Hsld i properly prepared the water
requires no attention from the irriga-
tor after be has turned it into = Dor
dor, until il has received enough W.
ter when it Is shut Of and turned into
the next.
II the soil is very light the lands
must be short or the upper end will
get too much water; II the soil is
heavy they may be longer. Lands
vary in length from 300 to 1000 feet.
The border Of levels dividing the
lands may be more or less perma-
nent; they are usually about twelve
inches high and two to four feet wide
at the base. They r made by
throwing together two or four fur
row slices and smoothing them over
with . ridger. These borders are
seeded the same as the rest Of the
ground. They are broad and low, 80
that . crop can be planted on them,
and machinery can be run over them
without difficulty. In irrigating, q
large stream Of water should be used
a. the water requires very little at
tention except to turn it from one
land to another.
The supply bitches are usually per-
manent with gates where the water
il turned into the land.
This method il adapted to both
light and heavy soils. IL the soil is
light a large stream can be forced
over the surface quickly before it
has time to soak in too deep, and If
the soil is heavy a smaller stream
be used and be kept running for
cation varies all the way from IS
to $35 per acre, depending upon the
topography OF the land. This sys-
tenn is used to a considerable extent
in the lower Boise valley and in the
vicinity of Weiser, Payette and Ida
no Falls, but II is not generally used
elsewhere. 1t seems to be coming
more popular because of the less la
Dor required in applying water.
In fnrrow irrigation the land is
so that the water cannot be
turned from its course by higher or
uneven places. 1t is not necessary
to have a perfect slope, but there
must always be fall enough SO the
water will flow easily.
For alfalfa, other grasses and
small grain the burrows are made
from fifteen inches to three feet
apart, depending upon the character
Of the soil. For this locality about
two feet is the right distance. Fur
rows are made with a steel or home
made corrugator. For orchards, po-
tatoes and other rowed crops fur
rows are made with q shovel pillow or
a cultivator with wing attachments
or with u lister pillow.
Head or supply bitches are run at
right angles to the burrows and ARE
constructed along the highest boun-
diaries of the field. These bitches
should have but n slight fall 80 that
when the water is held up by the
check box or a dam it will flow over
the lower bank for a considerable
length Of the ditch.
II is advisable to put check boxes
in the feed bitches so that the water
can be held upon a series Of levels.
The check box Is to be supplied with
a series Of flush boards which will
hold the water up to any desired
height and allow the surplus water
to flood over and down the ditch to
the next check box. To divert the
water from the feed bitches, Hath
boxes or spouts should be used. Each
n Of the spouts will furnish from
one to three corrugations, depending
upon the pressure in the feed ditch
and the length Of the corruRations.