The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-11-28
Practical Suggestions to Irrigators,

Practical Suggestions to Irrigators.
| Prof. F. X. KrOrr who has charge
of the large demonstration farm on
the North Platte Project in Nebraska
furnishes the following helpful hints to
irrigators which may prove valuable
to farmers on all projects.
1t is common fallacy among farm
ers that grains should we'll shade the
ground before first irrigation is at
tempted in order to prevent baking the
SOIL Prof. Knorr's experiments have
shown that whenever the soil shows
that it is getting dry the crop should
be irrigated regardless of its stage of
growth. Whenever the soil will not
adhere together in lump when press
ed in the hand, irrigation should be
applied.
The growth of corn should not be
forced by early irrigation. Corn should
be planted in moist ground, which can
be accomplished by irrigating before
planting. Thus planted it will gener-
ally carry through without further
irrigation until it tassels and silks.
After that one or two irrigations is
usually sufficient to mature the crop
in good shape.
Barley should never be allowed to
get dry because it is crop which
shows the effect of drouth more quick
ly and, because it has less power to
| recover than any of the small grains
it should be carefully watched for in
dications of lack of moisture.
While wheat and oats will stand
more drouth than barley, both should
be watered when needed. Oats will
recover more from drouth than any
other crop Care should be exercised
to prevent leaving water on the same
ground for any considerable length of
| time. Experiments show that after
water has run in furrow one and a
half hours in the same furrow usually
does no more gooa than run of one
and half hours but increases the sub
soil moisture, augmentinr the seepage
supply and the damages resulting
therefrom.
Potatoes grow best in soil which
is kept moist. An interesting expert
ment with early Ohio potatoes was
as follows One plot Of ground was
watered three times during the season
at such intervals that the land needed
water father badly each time before
irrigation was applied. The second
plot was kept continually in moist
| SOIlultlOu VII plot A>o. tuS yiSid
was l40 bushels per acre marketable
potatoes and so per cent of the crop
was marketable Plot No. 2 gave LIS
bushels per acre and II per cent were
culls.
| For sugar beets excessive irrigation
is certain to produce large tops and
small beetS. Careful and regular ir-
rigation produced two tons per acre
more than was grown on over-irrigat-
ed land.
In alfalfa growing Prof. Knorr ex-
perimentcd on different plots with 8
4. S and irrigations. The last two
plots yielded 2-l0 tons less alfalfa pei
acre than the others. A comparison
of yields cut and 4 times showed
that the latter yielded 4 o-l0 tons pei
acre while cuttings produced S Ole
tons. He concludes that three cut.
tings give not only more tonnage but
also a better quality of hay.
He finds that it is not advisable
to crop alfalfa beyond year perioe
as the roots become so heavy they
will not rot on the ground, making the
cultivation more difficult and causing
a liss in fertility to the soil. In turn
ing under alfalfa he recommends shall
) low blowing.