Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1913-05-16
WATER APPLIED TO ALFALFA
Systems Have Been Planned In mou,
tain States to Deliver Water In
Quite Small Streams.

rioouing from Held bitches or istsr
ais ID still the most common methoa
OF applying water to alfalfa out IN thu
country, especially In the states q,
Colorado. Montana, Wyoming. Utah
and to large extent In Idaho. say,
the Denver Field and Farm. Th,.
manner OF wetting dry soil originated
here In the mountain states and thu
past half century has witnessed
gradual evolution OF the plan, so thar
now II has not only become firmly
established but Is regarded az the has,
suited to the conditions under which
II is practiced. 1t can be prof,tshlv
used on slopes that are too steep for
other methods. Fields having a firm
soil and n fall OF twenty-five TO ons
hundred feet have been flooded sur.
oessfully. From this extreme thu
slope may diminish to less than on..
tenth OF foot In 100 feet. Its chesn.
ness 10 another feature which recon.
mends II TO the farmer OF limitaa
means. Ordinary raw land can be nra
pared for flooding at an expense Of a.
TO 10 an acre, Again. It is adapted 10
The use OF small water supplies Here
In the mountain states the irris,tion
systems have been planned and buit
10 deliver water In comparati,.k
small streams for use In flooding or ia
burrows. and water users should b.
certain that the larger volumes r..
CURED for checks and borders can be-
secured before going to the expense
OF preparing their fields for either Of
those systems In grading the land
Tor this particular method II Is no,
customary to make many changes in
the natural surface. Only the smaller
knobs are removed and deposited I'm
the low places An effort Is made al
ways however. TO make the farm lat
erals NJ into the natural slope and con
nguration of the tract To be watere1
30 as 10 bring the water u the hish
places. On steep slopes the laterals
may be less than nifty feet apart, on
fatter slopes they may be 200 feet or
more apart. Whatever the spacing Il
IL always desirable to have the slope
between them as nearly uniform AS
possible When the land IN It's natural
state Is uneven. the grading can Do
done with Il scraper II II Is compare.
lively smooth and level a homemade
drag or leyeler serves the purpose
fairly we'll The main lateral Is usual
ly built 10 the highest corner OF the
held and the smaller latersls extend
out from II. spaced 70 To 225 feet
apart the spacing depending Oh the
slope or the ground and the coarse
ness OF the soil The size OF the lat
erals Is governed by the head which
may be had. but on steep slopes and
on soil that erodes readily. small
heads are best The proper location
for Held laterals Is usually evident To
the irrigator without the use OF sur
veying Instruments. although In fields
where the fall Is slight 1t Is often nec
essary to have Typographical survey
made and the laterals located b. an
engineer. Field laterals are always
so located that they cover the highest
parts OF the field and their distance
apart In alfalfa varies from ten TO
twenty rods The head required for
flooding from field laterals varies from
two 10 three cubic feet second ani
Is divided between two Or three later
ais Canvas OF coarse manure dams
are used to check the water In thr lat
erals and to force II out over the
banks and down the slopes OF the
fields In less than three hours the
upper foot Of the soil Is usually thor
oughly moistened To apply one va
tering In this way costs from tlfteen
t. thirty cents an acre In irrigauhg
II canvas dam Is first inserted In each
ditch or set Of bitches 70 10 100 feet
below the head The water Is then
turned into each channel and flows AS
far as the canvas dam by which It Is
checked and as Il consequence rises
and flows over the low places OF the
lower bank OF through openings made
with shovel When these small
tracts have been watered, the canvas
dam Is raised. dragged down the LAT
eral 75 TO 100 feet. and again Inserted
In the channel to serve the next tract
Manure dams sometimes take The
place Of the movable canvas dams
Some time before field Is to be lIf''
gated and after the ditching Is done
coarse manure Ia placed In small
heaps within each ditch channel al
suitable intervals and each heaD Is
covered with earth on It's upper face
to a depth OF one to two inches. When
this check has served It's purpose II
Ia broken and the water flows down
until stopped by the next check III
some instances permanent wooden
check boxes are inserted In each LAT
eral. while In others the canvas dam
Is used The thorough irrigation OF
four acres Is considered u good twelve
hours work for one man BY the use
VI 100 inches, two men can irIisa'e
seven to ten acres In twenty-fouf
hours at Il cost OF 45 10 81 cents the
acre. In summarizing the advantages
OF the fooding method, II may be SAID
that In first cost II IL one OF the cheap
est It Is adapted to the delivery OF