The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-19
WINTER MOISTURE.

Ii, by careful use of fall water. the
soil is stored with moisture, to which is
added the precipitation of the winter,
farmer may rest assured of n good
crop the next year, whether the season
is dry or wet, Experience and expert
ment have taught that when tho soil is
we'll stocked with water in the spring
most plants will 60 through the season
successfully without much irrigation.
Especially IS this true of all planted
crops. In confirmation of this state
ment recall the success of arid farming
as carried on all over the west this past
year. This method Of farming de-
pends almost wholly upon tho success
with which the soil may be stored with
moisture before the opening Of tho hot
season.
OF course, when spring comes the
is not allowed TO dry and thus lose
moisture. Seeding, if done in the
spring. should be early, and in any case
the top soil should be stirred as early
as possible to form mulch to prevent
the escape of water Orchards can
very advantagcously be irrigated in the
fall even up to Christmas time in sea.
sons of open weather. The ground can
be brought into such condition that
water is easily absorbed. Early culti-
walton can be given in tho spring and
rich harvests Of fruit secured as re.
suit of the husbanded moisture. How
ever, orchards should be irrigated, pref
erably long enough before the first
winter frost TO allow the water to dis
tribute itself well throughout the soil.
For sugar beets. grain and similar
crops nothing can be better than to Sc
cure q soil which at seeding time is
we'll supplied with moisture. Even for
alfalfa and permanent grass fields fall
irrigation is of great value. It is not
very probable that if the water is ap-
Piled so as to permit of uniform dis
tribution in the soil the freezing of the
water will iniure the plants any more
than will the water naturally falling
upon the soil in the winter time. In
many western states the precipitation
Of the winter is so low that farmers
find 1t necessary to irrigate the crops in
the spring, II is very probable that by
the wise use Of fall water the soils
could be charged with sufficient mois
ture to permit, with the assistance of
the spring rains, the termination of
seeds without previous irrigation
This is subject worthy the careful
thought of all farmers in the arid re-.
gion. The objection may be urged
against fall irrigation that In the
spring there is plenty Of water, so
much, IN fact, that it cannot all be
used. This is true only in few places,
and in those localities it ought to be
held as reproach against the irri-
gators. There is and always will be
more land than can be irrigated. Bring
more acres under cultivation with the
spring water. Give the coil in the
spring a thoroughly good soaking to a
depth of four feet. Care for the top
soil properly and grain crop, to speak
cautiously, may certainly be produced
on the land.
Moreover, the moro moisture in the
land in the spring the moro will be in
after the first spring irrigation and
after every other irrigation. The yield
Of any crop is dependent, within GER
tain well defined limits, upon the water
at the disposal of the plant roots. In
localities where a superabundanco OF
water occurs or great reservoirs are TO-
Gated fall irrigation may not be neces-
sary. In such places too much water
| is probably used. But we waste water,
and the loss of the fall irrigation to
| agricultural purposes is a waste. In
tho great majority of the farming dis
tricts of the irrigated west the fall
water should be converted into dollars
| and cents.