The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-01-26

cured from the water where larger
heads can be used. Rotation sys
tens, by means of which a farmer
can exchange water with his neigh.
Dor and use larger heads for shorter
periods, are now being used with
success In many localities and the
saving OF water is very material.
(5) Preparation of the Land
Maximum crop production can not
be secured without a uniform wetting
OF the soil and this is impossible ii
the land is not properly prepared and
leveled for irrigation. Rough, un-
even land. 1t is plain to see, requires
more water than smooth land, for it
has to be held on the land long
enough to soak up the high spots.
Careful preparation of the land is an
absolute necessity if the best use is
to be secured from the water.
60 Kind of crop grown whether
cultivated or non-cultivated and
length of season that it needs water
have a very direct bearing upon the
amount of water that will be re-
CURED by the crop. Spring grains,
On account of their short season of
growth require considerably less wa
ter than alfalfa which grows from
early spring until late fall. Winter
grains, all other things being equal,
requires less irrigation water than
spring grains, because of their abil-
lty to utilize more of the moisture
deposited in the soil from winter
precipitation. A crop that can be
cultivated will need considerably less
water than a non-cultivated n be-
cause OF the great saving that can
be made by the reduction of the
evaporation through cultivation.
1t Is as easy to apply too much
water as it is to apply too little and
every bit as harmful. The expert
ments carried on this year at Good
ing show up the results of over-ir-
rlgat1on very clearly. We had 21
different plots of wheat consisting of
3 varieties of Z plots each. These
were planted and handled in exactly
same manner except that differ
emit amounts of water were applied
to each plot, all three varieties be- F.;
Ing handled alike as a check one up s
another. The water applied to +,
each OF the three series of plots was {
varied all the way from nothing up {
IN the first plot of each series, to |
average depth of approximately q
R feet where the greatest amount r
vas applied. With the dry farming e
where no water was applied, the y
'leld was approximately 1000 pounds y
YER acre. AS the amount of water a
vas increased the yield also increased +
apidly until the plot receiving an ap- +
OF approximately II feet f
a yield of 1900 pounds per h
ere, after which the yield decreased "
ap1dly until the plot receiving an O
of from 1.6 to IL feet q
Get yielded less on the average than g
nat which received no water at all. n
his shows strikingly the effects of f.
ver-irrigation on wheat and shows a;
l addition, as do all.of the other ex- II
eriments that We have carried on. f.
lat spring grains do not require 81
luch water. Alfalfa and clover d.
lroughout all of the experiments h,
i've responded to the use of larger ct
OF water and have been q,
'und to require fully SO per cent tb
ore than grains. Space or time will tie
permit me to go more in detail ne
regard to the experiments which su
I'VE been carried on, but anyone
no is interested may receive more til
mplete information by writing me wi
Boise, Idaho. The one thing that be
IS been emphasized throughout all ait
the experiments is that careful ca
eparation of the ground for the ir- rio
cation, at the outset, pays large of
turns upon the amount of money wi
wv