La Junta tribune., 1913-03-01
IRRIGATION IN NORTH DAKOTA.
Some Interesting Faets Concerning
Irrigation Conditions in That
Far or Cline.


ciamation service at illision. y d..
since leaving mere. writ,s very
Interesting letter concerning iarmins
and Irrigation conditions In tnat sec
ton when win be- read with profit
BY those who are looking for new
agricultural worlds to conquer. Just
compare Irrigation conditions in
North Dakota win those In the Ar
kansas Valley. There is water
enough in the Missouri river TO vet
more land than there is, says Mt,
Hill, but it is put on the lard from
electrically driven pumps on barses
In the Missouri river into twenty
four inch pipes and then into main
supply canals. from wnich 1t is again
lifted to higher bench,s at other
pumping station Mr Hili says
NorJn Dakota can not hold candle
to Otero county. and 80 OF cours"
he is quite anxious 10 get back here
again he sxpegt 10 some day
His letter follows:
Tho year 1919 Was one OF great
crop yield in North Dakota. but tnr
prices were 30 low that farmers
find little comfort in it.
Wheat brought % cents, oats 20
ccuts. barley Is cents. potaio.s 20
cents per bushel, may 81 90 s. iu the
stack. etc. But thru all this. meat
lard bacon. ham, butter and milk
remained high because tns farming
country fails 20 produce those ar
uclos and stiIl ships ta'm iu. But
Ter has been selling az 80 cents a
pound all winter and milk has been
~ quarts for "a dollar Bacon - 10
% cents a pound, etc.
IN 1910 and l9l1 there Nrre crop
failures and farmers we're delighted
Ia get the big crop lU 1912 even u
n did take s. worth NJ crops To ply
5 90 uf debit.
In this country farmers are not
organized either for buying or sgll-
Ing They rush their crops at the
buyers .n ap Hl and accept what
ever they can set for them It is
long haul ON 1I they buy ANA ou
all they sell
Efforts have b,eu made 'u get
sugar factory an Wuistou, y d.,
aud during tIo summer the american
Beet sugar Company sent Mr. w..
A. Wintr.Aaltor consulting asrigul-
turalist. formerly OF Rocky Ford. 90
this county o. is believed that Nr
Wiutrr1airsr reported tdat there are
not yet a sufficient number ot fami.
lies iIyinl ou their land and that
they do not yri farm land well
enough 10 Justify @ Hnp. Tor sugar
factory
Potatoes used to br thc best pay
INK crop but everybody had pota'ocs
to srli IN 1912 and for time they
would not bring enough 10 pay for
hauling them into town
Irrigation is not Nrl understood
Is little prafti-cd and seldom paid
for tn" government has put $500
600 into two pumping projects about
twenty miles apart There is a epn.
trail power plant of spuo horse pow
~ capacity located about two and O.
half milrs northeast OF WtlNst0u. at
tho entrance iu coal mine also own.
od and operated hy tho government
Electric power Is generated and
transmitted lp bsrErs mougrd in the
Missouri river Electrically driven
r"utrlfusul pumrH ON 'hrs. blfzrs
force th" water through -ginch pipes
into the main supply canals from
which again lifted 20 higher benches
at other pumping stations The ay-
'rSgn elevation Is about 90 feet ubut,
Tho river which makes 'ur process
somewhat expensive
About one year Boz thrnr there Ii
rain enough for good crop IN
tho fnIluuing year most nf the farm.
"rs will take chance ON getting
along without irrigation and burn up
IN" third year ihey are so fbr De-.
hind they can't pay They don't
want to pay f1r ditch maintenance
in fhr year there was plenty Of rain.
hoy won't pay Zoo tis y.ir following
because thrY hope Tor another soi
year and IH tho third year they are
too fir behind Thus Fosth the cycle
But irfiwii1u uil ultimately Rlu
ont as cheap Irnuih insurance. that
g. Hhrn n really becomes cheap
There H good Ignite coal hors lu
quantity sufficient to heat M,
whole world. and there Is vatei
enough in tho Missouri river tn sr'
up more land than there lr
Unless methods change. however
there viii br nard times ln North
Dakota for tho coming generation
Of farmers Those noN engaged lr
extracting crops from M, soil ar,
no, making ary effort 10 keep ~
the fertility They ar. soil rohbor,
aud Shen posi-rity indlcts them toi
N" crimes being committed against
agriculture. the Williams will hay. fer
tiiired IN. soil the first and last
tim. with their iodi.s. and be b.yon,
the reach Of earthly justice.
Although great deal of manur.
Is created In wlllis,on. most of I, !,