Alamogordo news-advertiser. (Alamogordo, Otero County, N.M.) 1912-1914, 1913-05-30

it, and the lower end would receive.
its needed moisture in a brief time.
Freeman had to change the size
OF his bitches in order TO conduct
this greater head OF water to his
land, but the idea was right. Then
he saw that his checks were too
small, that he could handle more
water on more land In shorter
time before, and he increased the
size of his checks, until, on his
farm three miles south of town he
has made them an acre in extent,
four times larger than the usual
checks on a farm under the Carls-
bad project.
There can be no question OF the
astounding success OF this system,
and Freeman gives figures in sup
port Of this method. He recently
purchased a forty known as the
Bruce Jones" land. 1t used to
take six days and nights to irrigate
il, the Mexican irrigators employed
oeing paid about $4,000 for the
WORK. \ week ago, with new set
OF bitches, this was watered by
freeman and u boy in fifteen hours.
The bitches were untried and occa-
siOnally one would break. When
they set, one man will be able to
irrigate the tract In day and he
will not have to wade about in hip
Doots. or use heavy irrigating hoe
20 close the cuts in the bank. The
farmer who uses the Freeman
plan will not even have to wet the
soles of his shoes. The ditch
Danks are high and wide enough
to walk on. and the only necessary
labor is that required to open and
close The gates.
Reduced to figures, the system
shows IA wide divergence from the
plan OF irrigation now in general
use. Freeman bitches are plan
ned to carry from twenty to thir-
" feet OF water. and are from
six To seven feet wide at the bot
tom. His checks are sixty feet
wide and two hundred and twenty
yards long. both dimensions double
those in general use, giving an
area four times the accepted size.
Or about an acre in extent. His
openings from the ditch are three
feet across. He irrigates two
checks at time. and has check
gates at every fourth gate on the
ditch. BY this arrangement with
a twenty foot head he irrigates
four checks to the hour, covering
the land to a depth of four inches.
Less water at time. with more
frequent application, is the rule
on the Freeman farm. II takes
about week to irrigate forty
acre tract, under the old system.
An alfalfa field thus treated makes
An uneven growth. and the cut
I ting is strung out over a longer
time than II should consume. Con-
/ sequently the next application of
water is delayed Alfalfa is SIM
ply water and sunshine, and thir-
I ty days is too long for it to wait
/ for water" said Mr. Freeman. Il
/ find that can irrigate thick
growth OF hay in but little longer
time than it takes to water the
stubble. and | never let my fields
go over three weeks without an ir-
rigation. The alfalfa is never
stunted by lack Of moisture in the
growing season. | try TO irrigate
three times during every two cut
tings. With a winter irrigation,
find that this uses up my allow
ance of three feet. which ! think
Is about the right amount of water
to put on an alfalfa field during
the year
The Freeman" plan is of par
ticular advantage on level fields
The big heads crowd over the
check in a quarter of the time
consumed by the smaller head oI
water fromerly used. and takes
but little more time to spread
over the ground covered with q
growth of hay. Last week | lr'
rlgated fifty-four acres Of alfalfa
eight inches high In twelve hours
and had but very little difficult,
with the water. | shut IL bach
and forth through the gates JUS
as cattlemen handle stock In ;
stockyard." said Freeman. 'anG
one man can do IL all"
-Four inches ut a time Is all tina
any field should be given" h'
continued further. u believe tha
six or eight inches OF water at on
application TO be a positive detri
/ ment. II IL more than the sol
/ can absorb. and 1t soaks down Il
. the lower water level. carrying val
liable plant foods with IL. A sGreau
/ OF water poured on dirty rag vii
, In time wash all dirt away. an'
: over-application of water will leacl
/ out the richest soil"
One advantage of the scheme de
yised by Mr.. Freeman IL that
4 requires less turning OF machine
? and vehicles In the field 4 con
siderable amount OF land II ais
/, saved In the border divisions. 4
y fact. the longer the plan is studied
( the more pleasing II becomes. Tn
} cost OF installing the larger ditche
-sn land already graded amounts {
!, from three to five dollars per acre
e which would be more than offse
+ by the reduction OF labor bills dun
: ing the irrigatlng season. Tn
Q Freeman" plan has much to con
I mend II 10 modern lrrigators.-
e Carlsbad Argus.
-
z Hudson" BiIl.
: W. X. Rutherford v now drivin
- his Hudson 81. He is practicin
A on the smooth pixies around towI