Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-04-05
FIELD FOR IRRIGATION
High Spots Should Be Removed
and Low Ones Filled In.
Work of Year or So Would Make
Task Comparatively Easy One
Paying Proposition to Thor
oughly Prepare Ground.


(By e B. HOUSE, Colorado Agricultural
College.)
Much has been said concerning the
Increased duty Of water, and 1t has
been said that the farmer has been
using much more water than is neces-
sary. Most of the articles concerning
the duty of water take up the proper
ties of the soil, the manner of cultiva-
ton for conservation purposes, the
manner of applying water, and show
that in a general way, all affect the
duty of water, and that proper culti-
walton and proper application of water
will increase the duty of water from
100 to 200 per cent.
1t has often occurred to the writer
that this means very little to the
average farmer, In that 1t does not
tell him what he does that he should
not do, nor exactly what he might
do to increase the efficiency of his
water supply.
The thing of first Importance to
the farmer is the preparation of the
field for irrigation. He should see
to 1t that the high spots are removed
and that the low spots are filled;
In other words, he should see that
the surface of his field is smooth,
and here is where the ordinary
and narrowing his field he perhaps
runs a drag over it, and then seeds
1t, leaving ridges and hollows, holes
and knolls, consequently when he ir-
rigates the field it is necessary for
him to almost drown the low spots in
order to wet the high ones. Water
will often be found from one to two
feet deep in places in the field. In
driving along the road one often
sees entertainments piled up along low
spots to keep the water from flooding
the road If, when the blowing and
narrowing are completed. the farmer
would take a scraper and take down
with the dirt this removed, in the
course of a year or two he would
change the field from one hard to ir-
rigate to one exceedingly easy for
irrigation, and he would find that
one-half the amount of wa
ter that he was compelled to use
on the first place is ample after the
field has been smoothed in this way.
More than this, he will find that his
crops yield better for when an excess
OF water is applied to the low spots
the crop at these places in the field |
is always injured. and it is not an ex-
aggeration to say that as much dam
age to the crop is done by forcing the |
water up to the high spots as would
be done by allowing these high spots
to suffer from a lack of water.
A word of advice now, for the pres
ent season will soon be upon US. As
you irrigate your fields this spring
and summer stake the high spots,
driving the stakes down so that they
will not interfere with harvesting,
and mark on these stakes about how
much too high the land is at that
point; then after the crop is harvested
n the fall see to it that these high
spots are removed, and, after blowing.
smooth the surface with great care.
When you stop to consider that this
work is a permanent improvement and
iced not be done year after year,
when once 1t has been accomplished,
md when you consider that during
very day year the crops are injured
or lack of water, 1t seems that every
Intelligent farmer would realize the
act that it viii be paying PROPOSE
ion to thoroughly prepare his ground
o that it will irrigate In the best pos
ible manner. See to It that the plow
d field is in perfect state of filth
efore the seed is planted, for this
areful preparation is what will put
he bushels into the bin in the fall.