Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1913-04-26
ECONOMY IN IRRIGATION.
Much Depends Upon Use of Water in
Way That Will Produce Results.

\ flow Of water OF one cubic foot
ner second would cover 20 acres
tvcnty-seveu inches deep i'll a year ii
and its a big if-none OF it escaped
downward or upward Even allowing
for such escapes, twenty seven inches
would probably prove enough II one
could irrigate throughout the year or
store water without loss. In California
they do make cubic foot per second
serve l2O or 200 acres. that Is, after
= fashion. and after a great deal OF
cxpense in distribution. In Utah sew
cntv acres is covered. and III Colo
RADIO. on short run streams, IA cubic
feet is used on eighty acres and rescr
voir water used in addition. Thco-
rists would have one believe that water
that escapes by percolation IS wasted
whereas it returns to the water chan
nels and can be used so long as il
flows in countries under irrigation.
Theoretically, water should only be
rim far enough to give just the right
amount OF water at every point OF ITS
flow through the field, and the nearer
we can approximate this, the better
But we cannot cut our helds TO pieces
with cross laterals which interfere
with cultivation, grow weeds and
waste ground. So we run water far
thcr than the exact optimum Tor econ
omy OF water, and we do adVisedly be
cause economical application OF water
!, only one point in farming: the other
operations must also be economically
performed.
There is not any exact rule that Will
give us the exact soakage oil water NC
REQUIRE for plants independent OF the
fact that soils vary, for II Is evident
that i'll order to reach the end OF a
row or land. whatever its length, and
soak il sufficiently, water must pas
on the upper and intermediate part.
of the surface longer than l. absolute
" necessary.
This excessive yet economical appli
cation OF water passes INTO the SUD
soil and thence to the stream or river
flow. and when your theoretical rri-
gationists discovers il and some sccp
ed lands he Immediately cries out III
horror that farmers are wasting water
Where there are gravelly subsoils such
return flow will occur III somewhat
greater quantity than with strong
retcntive subsoil.
II is a mistake TO regard the theo-
retical irrigationist as harmless. II
mistaken. individual, for he Is pernic-
ously active around legislatures and
congress, and his babblc has led to
countless enterprises being foisted on
the public. with duty imposed on
water far in excess OF what II WILL
perform.
Already it is common To say that
water should bctakcn away from old
settlers and rcdistributed. and it is i'm
possible to say how soon some legis-
ture may not further .tangle- up. our
water distribution systems.
The true economy OF water depend,
on its use in way that shall produce
q profit, and il has never been allowed
To go to waste for any length of time
in live farming communities, but ha'
been applied TO new lands a. soon a,
it was developed Without live farm
crs the water is useless in fact, al
the real value ever developed from
water has been farmers, not by en-
ginecrS. promoters or theorists wh'
explored it. but by the man who raised
the crop. whose vital interest is far
greater in water than anyone elcsc''
can be