Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-07-04
IRRIGATION Is NEEDED
Where Rainfall Is Less Than Ona
Inch in Fifteen Days.
One Of Main Advantages Is That Wa
ter Supply Required for Growth OF
Crops Is Largely Under Con-
troll Of Grower.
by MILO b. WILLIAMS. United states

BY MILO u. WILLIAMS, United States
Department OF Agriculture)
A climate having an annual rain
TALL OF 20 inches or more is generally
regarded as humid. for where this
amount OF rain is fairly well distrlb-
uted throughout the year arabic land
can usually be farmed This meas
ure OF arldity divides the United
States into two nearly equal parts,
east and west, marked by belt Of
semiarid country located near the
nlnety-ninth meridian. Although this |
division is based upon the moisture
supply Of the climate. il is not true
index OF the need OF irrigation as !
many sections having an annual rain !
fall OF more than 20 inches do not dur
ing the growing season receive q de- |
pendable precipitation sufficient for
farming purposes. Rains must come
at such times and in such amounts as
VIII properly moisten the soil for the
preparation of the seed bed and viii
furnish a reasonably constant supply
OF moisture to terminate the seed and
develop the plant until il reaches ma
turity. A check in this supply OF soil
moisture at any stage Of the growth
affects the quality and quantity of the
yield and may greatly reduce the prof
Its of the grower. The real test Of
what is a humid section is therefore
not the total annual rainfall. but the
monthly and. in the case of many
( plants. the weekly amount during the
growing season Viewed in this light,
/ Irrigation becomes a national need
rather than r-~reiy a western prac-
4 tice
There is pc maps no other industry
1 80 broad or SO varied as farming No
manufacturer encounters 30 many UNI
+ controlled elements and no factory
! output IS so delicate or perishable OF
I It's market so uncertain as that OF the
farmer. One OF the main advantages
I OF farming under irrigation is that the
water supply needed for the growth OF
( crops. which is one Of the most. If not
the most. uncertain factors IN other
farming. ia very largely under the con-
troll Of the grower This advantage.
/ however. has hitherto scarcely been
/ grasped by the Flrmers in the humid
section and fe7 realize mat with
small outlay 81 irrigation plant can be
Installed which will insure them
against complete or partial crop fail
ures during droughts-
Farming conditions however have
greatly changed in recent years. The
soils in many localities no longer pro
duce profitable yields without the ap-
plication of artificial fertilizers; the
value OF farm lands has greatly in
creased: farming methods are more
intensive: more valuable crops are
being grown: and consumers are de
mandine greater variety. a better
quality. and more constant supply OF
delicate farm products Thus. the
farmer Of today Is obliged 10 eXpend
a large amount Of money TO produce a
crop. and II for any cause this crop
Is a failure his losses are greater than
IN the past The wheat grower OF
Kansas may produce crop at an av
ernge cost Of $40 per acre. while the
citrus grower Of southern California
Is Obliged 10 spend $500 per acre In
growing and marketing crop OF
navel oranges. To insure the wheat
crop against a possible drought might
not pay. while to insure the orange
cron is an absolute necessity. for II
the pumping plants which raise wate'
from the bed Of the Santa Ana rive
for the orange orchards Of Riverside
. Cal we're to he shut down that region
would In time revert TO desert. NJ
though the annual precipitation in thu
citrus regions Of Florida Is - inches
while that nj Riverside is only l0.7'
inches one should not conclude tina
, irrigation is not necessary In the for
Nor as there are periods when lesi
than l inch Of rain falls I'm 30 days
and of such times the application of ;
small amount of water may he follow
cd by as good results as at River
- side
, Under average conditions II is SAT-
IN saw n drought occurs whenever thu
= precipitation In any r5-day period iall
/, below Inch II has been the writer
j. observation that crops will usual.
srfTor If they do not receive consider
, ahlv more than this amount of rain
osnecially during the spring and earl
simmer months Later In the scasol
This quantity may not be needed, eN
q cepting for late garden truck and som
n fruits
n cost Of RAISING Chicks.