Graham guardian., 1912-01-26
CONSERVE OUR WATER
Several Conditions Which Affect
This Question.
Heavy Soil May Mature With Single
irrigation, While That Of Gravel
ly Nature May Require
Many Acre Feet.

(By r. L. PARSHALL. Colorado Agricul-
turai College.)
We are hearing much of late years
about the duty OF water In irriga'
ton. and In the future we will have
the problem squarely before US, how
to increase the duty Of water. or in
other cords. how are we going to
conserve our moisture? There are
several conditions which affect this
question. but We will touch upon one
only at this time; namely. the charac-
ter of the soil and subsoil.
The character Of the soil is prob.
ably the greatest factor to consider
as the texture of the soil as regards
its porosity has more to do with
the water used than any other one
thing. Before this problem Of duty
Of water can be definitely settled az
regards any community, y soil sur.
vey should be made and actual CON.
ditions observed. We are beginning
to observe that It is possible to have
adjoining fields raising the same
kinds of crops, apparently under the
same conditions. which have diner
ent factor for the duty of water. This
Is due to the fact that the soil condi.
tions Of one are different from those
Of the other. You would not be justi-
fed In saying that the duty Of wa.
ter for your farm Is the same for
all fields. A heavy soil may mature
crop with single irrigation OF o
nve-acre-inches. while q graveliy
soil may require as many acre-feet.
In the first case the water will not
soak so deep In tho ground as to 80
beyond the zone Of the roots, and the
only loss will be that due to evapora-
ton, while in the second case the soil
particles being 80 large, the water
readily goes below the feeding depth
OF the plants and is lost so far as the
growth of the crop is concerned.
As our arid west Is rapidly becom-
ing great agricultural country. the
amount OF water available being prac-
tically constant. 1t behopves us to
seek means to secure water for large
irrigation systems. This can be ac-
complished In large measure By the
study Of the duty of water. or con-
servation of moisture. In the case
cited above. the two soils. one heavy
and the other light, we would be
wasteful OF water to attempt to irri-
gate both fields by the same method.
Flooding may answer for the first
case. but 1t is an extravagant process
for the latter. In some soils at least
two-thirds OF the water applied would
not be used by the growing plants.
Again we find the evaporation in
the coarse soil to be great, and the
soil would soon lose its water con-
tent. Ordinarily. the best way to
handle soil Of this nature is to d.
vide the field into short runs, say 500
feet, with frequent cross bitches. using
large head and irrigate more often.
The duty Of water is also affected
by the depth of the soil. A shallow
soil will absorb small amount Of
water and will retain 1t but short
time, and hence necessitates the use
OF larger heads and more frequent ir-
rigation.
We shall be nearer the solution Of
the problem OF the duty OF water
when each farmer knows the char
acter of his soil and the proper meth
Cd of irrigation. This will make more
water avilabie for the lands now In
want. and ultimately aid In materially
increasing the prosperity Of the com
munity.