Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-02-29
FOR LESS IRRIGATION
Excessive Use of Water Causing
Much Damage.
BY Proper Cultivation Of Soil, Surface
Of Ground Is Kept Loose So That
Moisture 10 Prevented
From Evaporatlng.

The more l go over the state. the
more | see the necessity OF the peo-
pie being awakened to the fact that
they must do more cultivation and
less irrigation. There are vast areas
of land all over the state that are be-
ing ruined by excessive irrigation. 1t
is causing large areas to become wat
ter logged and swampy. says writer
in the Desert Farmer. Ii is causing
large areas to change from fertile
fields to alkali beds. II Is causing
vast areas to become over-run with
weeds.
BY proper cultivation or the soil.
the surface OF the ground is kept
loose so that the moisture which has
soaked into 1t from rains and melting
SHOWS Is prevented from rising to the
surface and thus evaporating into the
air. We can cultivate with less ex-
pense than we can irrigate and our
soil by 80 doing Is always kept In
better condition for crop production.
Irrigation always has the tendency to
produce shallow rooted plants because
the roots always develop where they
can get the moisture. The roots OF
such plants will be able TO get less
food from the soil for the develop
ment of the plant than will the roots
OF plants which penetrate to greater
depths into the soil because they will
have less area from which to draw
their food
Plants require considerable
amount OF moisture for their proper
development. II has been estimated
that under normal conditions II takes
about $50 tons OF water to produce
one ton OF alfalfa hay. and about 81
tons OF water to mature one bushel
of wheat. An inch OF rainfall on one
acre weighs little over ll3 tons. SO
that where the annual rainfall is about
IL inches. 1856 tons OF water falls
upon every acre of ground every year
This would be enough to produce. II II
were all conserved and could be used
by the plants, ISIS tons of alfalfa OF
81 bushels OF wheat. The only way
In which we can conserve this mois
ture in the soil, so that the plants can
use 1t when they need 1t, is by thor
ough cultivation. The cultivation. too
must be done at the proper time
which Is as soon In the spring as the
ground can be worked without dan
ger OF injuring the texture OF the soil
and after each heavy rain storm. d
II Is left until some more convenient
time much moisture Is lost. Las
spring | induced a farmer to pillow
two acres of land upon the same da,
during the last week In May. Sol
samples were taken TO the depth o
eight feet Immediately after plowinl
and the moisture determined. Til,
two acres contained about 16 per cent
Of moisture or 2,240 tons OF water wa
held In the soil on each acre to tn,
depth OF eight feet. One acre wa
narrowed Immediately after plowinl
and the other acre was left roug
without being narrowed for one week
After week, soil samples were agai
taken to the depth OF eight feet. Tn
acre that had been narrowed had los
20 tons of water. while the acre tina
had not been narrowed had lost IT
tons OF water. or enough to produc
one ton OF alfalfa. or 1874 bushels Q
wheat. Think for a moment. II 20
can. of the thousands OF tons OF VIZ
ter that are being lost each day, eac
week and each year In our state
Think OF the vast amount OF irriga
ing this would save. and the great II
, crease in yield which this woul
bring to our state.