Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1912-06-08
IRRIGATE BY ELECTRICITY.

How much is this seasons shortage OF water
going to the farmers of Mason Valley" asked
a visitor in Yerngton this week. is one hundred
thousand dollars too large figure? think not.
and if it is lar wrong either way it is too low an
estimate"
Sufficient water for irrigation of farms near
Yerington would mean 45 bushels of wheat to the
acre instead of Is to 20 OF course alfalfa and grain
too, for that matter will be sacrificed to help along
the potatoes. onions ETC. but that small first crop
and failure OF the second crop OF alfalfa means
money lost Also many farmers hereabouts tell me
that when they realized the would be dry
they did not plant their usual acreage
And yet your lands capable OF great things
When one OF your farmers can sell $3.50 worth OF
cabbage from hall OF ground netting profit
above all expenses of equivalent to $3.50 per
acre; when another realize $4,000 from ~
OF potatoes to say nothing OF the onions and
other truck shipped from here; with creameries at
Your door. and flour mill that | am told imports
wheat from other districts; and with great quant-
ties OF farm products in which you excel shipped in
from the outside with an ever-increasing home
market no visitor can be but impressed by your un-
developed possibilities along agricultural lines.
agricultural land is worth what you make it
worth That which is raising sagebrush may bring
was raised paid good interest valuation OF
about $1,000 per acre. and there you The whole
thing depends upon intelligent handling and upon
a sufficient amount OF water at all times, whether
the season be wet or dry
DRY farming and semi-dry farming is con-
slant struggle to wrest from Nature that which she
is determined not to give Statistics from the coun-
try over prove the dry farm lands to yield fair
crop once every three years. Add sufficient water
to the dry farm and you multiply its cash value by
eight. That merely emphasizes the value OF water
in dollars.
1T has been apparent for the past twenty years
that the water stored in the form OF SHOWS III the
natural water sheds is decreasing year by year.
Another force is lessening the available supply
along our rivers and streams is the farm canal The
4oss by evaporation and seepage is believed to ex-
coed 40 per cent in our climate But all farmers
know these things and appreciate their seriousness.
THE one method that avoids all waste; that is
never-fang. and that insures prosperity to every
farmer is irrigated by pumping methods. I'm Nevada
it is comparatively new and farmers have not
availed themselves of its possibilities readily as
they did in California and Colorado. and as they
are}doing in Oregon and Washington; but where it
has been tried there is instance OF record where
land owners would consider going back to gravity
methods. 1t costs much money to maintain divert
ING dams in the rivers we'll the bitches lead
ing therefrom, and in normal years there is
more or less dissatisfaction among the various
stockholders of the farmers ditch company 1t has
been demonstrated time and again that an electric
pumping plant can be maintained and operated lust
as cheaply and in most instances more SO, than