The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-03-18

Used. Staple Crops, Such as Corn
and Cotton, Will Be Irrigated.
ALBANY, Ga.-Unusual interest
attaches to some experiments which
are being made on one of Col. John
P. Forts plantations in the western
part of Dougherty county under the
direction of the irrigation depart
ment of the United States department
of agriculture. F. w. Stanley, who
has been for some time stationed in
the far West, but more recently at
Orlando, Fla, has been assisting Col.
Fort in planning and carrying out
the work.
The present experiment is on a
tract of between seventeen and eigh-
teen acres. Water is secured from
flowing well, which gives thirty
gallons a minute without the aid
of a pump. The water is gathered in
basin, which is one of the most in
teresting features of the experiment.
How $4,000 Was Saved.
1t was necessary for the success of
the experiment that a basin large
enough to hold $4,000 gallons of
water be constructed. 1t was repre-
sented to Col. Fort that it would cost
between $4,000 and $4,000 to con-
struct this reservoir, which would
have to be cemented on bottom and
sides. Col. Fort, following sugges-
lions made by Mr. Stanley, succeed
ed in building a reservoir which does
not seem to leak drop and which
cost only a trifing sum.
The reservoir is three feet deep, a
part of this depth having been Sc
cured by building up the walls. 1t is
100 feet wide and IT'S feet long, and
holds sufficient water to cover an acre
of ground to the depth of a foot.
1t is built in red clay and was rem
| dered impervious to water by mixing
sand with the clay, much as the sand
clay roads of South Georgia are con-
structed. One hundred and twenty
| five loads of sand were dumped into
the eservoir-sufffcient to cover the
! entire bottom of the reservoir to the
depth of two inches. The clay and
sand were then thoroughly puddled,
drag made of a railroad crosstie
being used. The walls were plaster
ed with sand-clay mixture for coup
lie of feet upward from the bottom,
and when the water was turned on it
was found that not a gallon was lost.
Clay Pipe Utilized.
From the reservoir six and eight
inch vitrified clay sewer pipe carries
water to the 17-acre tract under cul-
tivation. This pipe was bought and
laid at a cost of less than a tenth
of the cost of metal pipe, and it an
swers every purpose admirably. 1t
has the advantage of not rusting or
otherwise deteriorating and any dam
age to the system could be easily
repaired. The flow is controlled by a
system of valves, water being let into
the burrows at such points as is re-
quired.
1t is a remarkably interesting fact
that the reservoir capable of holding
325, 900 gallons of water and the pipe
system covering a tract of over sew
enteen acres was installed at cost
of less than $500. This does not, of
course, include the cost of the well.
Ir1igating Staple Crops.
While Col Fort is irrigating three
and a half acres of onions, some Irish
potatoes and nearly an acre of al
| falfa the experiment is being princi-
pally made to demonstrate the effect
of irrigation on staple crops. Four
and a half acres is being placed in
corn this year and between seven
and eight acres in cotton. Col. Fort
believes ne will average 200 bushels
of corn to the acre and something
like two bales of cotton.