Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-02-01
NEE u M0RE WATER
Many Conditions Play important
Part in Amount Required.
Rotation Is Found to Be Beneficial as
Well as in Some Cases Absolute
~ Necessary 10 Produce
Irrigated Crop.
BY RALPH Z PARSHALL. Colorado
Agrlc.lturai Cul..geI

/ BY RALPH :. PARSHALL. Colorado
Agricultural College,
Not only methods Of irrigation. sub
soiieonditions and climatic conditions
affect the duty OF water. but the kind
/ OF crop. the preparation OF the fields
/ for irrigation. IS we'll as many other
conditions. play an important part in
/ the correct amount Of water that
should be used TO mature a certain
kind OF crop
Ideal conditions are never possible.
so We must make the existing condi-
t.cns approximate, as well as we can.
that which is best for the conservation
OF moisture
Each year in our irrigation history
We are finding the need Of more water
10 cover the areas prepared for Guilt
walton in our western country. We
are. in a way. successfully meeting
this issue. but We still see before US
many things desirable in ways Of
methods and improved conditions that
will greatly increase the area now
being irrigated with a certain water
supply.
particular kind OF crop that requires
irrigation at particular times, neces-
sarily cannot obtain the highest duty
Of water. because at the intervals
when the crop is not in need OF water
this irrigation head could be applied
10 other fields where profits could be
substantially increased. diversifi-
rf0r, ~ d
the farm is irrigated by bitches that
flow continuously.
Where water is scarce and many
farms are TO be irrigated by a certain
water supply. We find 1t exceedingly
wasteful TO attempt the irrigation OF
the whole area at the same time. Ro-
tation in the use OF water Is found to
be beneficial as well as in some cases
absolutely necessary to produce
crop. By the rotation in the use OF
water q larger irrigation head Is as
sured and the losses from evaporation
and percolation are materially de-
creased, leaving more water available
for the beneficial use OF the plants.
Where small heads are used in irri-
cation We find the area We can cover
smaller as compared with the larger
head. and We further find that in our
attempt 10 cover the area with the
smaller head Of water We are Obliged
TO I'VE the water set at a particular
place long enough 10 cover the area
in question that We find a great
amount OF the water has percolated
far below the root zone OF the grow
ing plants and is absolutely lost. We
can cover larger head OF water and
the losses In the latter case are con-
siderably smaller than in the former.
The preparation Of the fields for
irrigation will increase the duty of
water in that it makes it possible to
thoroughly irrigate the field in a much
shorter time. and again our losses due
to percolation and evaporation are les
sened.
Perhaps the greatest factor affect.
ing the duty Of water is that OF cult
walton. II the water absorbed by the
soil can only be retained and made
available Of the growth OF the plant,
the problem Of the duty OF water has
been practically solved. Crops that
will permit a thorough cultivation
after q thorough application of water
will show decided increase in the
yield. 1t has been determined that
the evaporation from an uncultivated
field in a single month is four times
that OF a similar field having a three
inch dry mulch.