The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-05-24
VALUABLE NEW BULLETIN NOW
AVAILABLE

A new bulletin has just been ISSUED
by the irrigated investigation branch
OF the U. S. department of agriculture
q the same being entitled Evaporation
a from Irrigated Soils" This bulletin
may be obtained by writing to the
chief of irrigation Investigations, al
washington, D. c., and asking for of.
flee of experiment stations bulletin
No. 24S. This bulletin is one of the
best that has ever been issued by the
department and shows up strikingly
the immense amount of moisture
that are usually lost from irrigated
soils by evaporation. The subject has
been treated in an exhaustive but
practical manner and shows how these
losses may be materially cut down by
the maintenance of soil mulches of
different depths, and different meth
DDS of cultivation, etc.
The experiments upon which this
bulletin is based were carried on at
Caldwell, Idaho; Davis, California;
Reno, Nevada; Sunnyside and Wenat-
chez, Washington; Agricultural COL
lege, New Mexico; Bozeman, Mon
tana, and Williston, North Dakota,
The results secured are considered to
be very dependable as they have been
secured from such wide territory.
An average of the results obtained at
live stations show that there was an
evaporation loss from a free water
surface of $50 inches in 21 DAYS. and
that an unmulched irrigated soil lost
an equivalent of 1.75 inches by eyap-
Grafton in the same time. An irri-
gated soil covered with a three inch
dry soil mulch lost only "a inches,
while one covered with nine inches of
dry mulch lost only .22 inches in the
same period.
The bulletin also shows up striking
y the great saving that can be made
'y cultivating the soil after each ir-
lgat1on. During 20 days at the same
tatlons, free water surface lost Sal ,
nches by evaporation, and unculti- !
'ated irrigated soils lost an eouiya !
ent OF 2.13 inches, while cultivated =
OILS lost only 1853 inches, showing 6
saving of water of 1904 per cent
" reason of the cultivation. !;
The difference in efficiency of i
looding VS.. furrowing irrigation was
$50 tested out, and it was found that y
ne greatest saving of water could be h
nade with deep burrows. This was q
pparently due to the fact that the
eep burrows placed the water down T
Glow the surface where it was so v
asily evaporated. :.
An average of the results at two :;
satlons, namely, Davis, Calf. and Al
emo, New, showed an evaporation II
'om a free water surface of 1916 nj
lches in 20 days, and a loss from II
CODED soils during the same period Ia
l:25 inches, and loss from fur- II
'Ws three inches deep, six inches til
eep and nine inches deep, of an 81
luivalent of SO inches, SO inches AZ
III ~ inches respectively The least m
IS and the greatest saving of water ba
as made with burrows nine inches in
,ep.
This is by far one of the best bul- m,
tins ever published regarding the ur
evention of evaporation losses from KIN
rlgated soils, and should be in the Po
'nds of every thinking irrigator in Ne
e state. All of those interested are er
ged to write to the chief of irriga-
m Investigations at Washington n wo
or to Don H. Bark, irrigation en- Ho
1eer in charge of irrigation invest;- 90,
lions in Idaho, at Boise, and ask ev
the bulletin. cd
owe