Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-11-18

ne buUltfl IL
so Dig, so far reaching, that no one
IN short time can more than touch
a very few OF its important features
Irrigation is supplying artifcially
what nature fails 10 provide in the
way OF moisture for growing plants
In plant life and development water
performs a double function. In the
nrst place 1t is a plant food and ac-
tually enters into the building of
plant tissue Ii this we're its only
service, however we should be able
to raise enormous crops in southern
Idaho without irrigation Its second
function consists of taking the soil
elements Of plant food into solution
and carrying them into the roots and
up the stems and branches to the
leaves and fruit Since these solu-
lions OF plant food are very weak, d
great deal more water than the plant
can use must be taken up In order TO
get sufficient amount OF the soil ele-
ments The plant cannot make fur
ther use OF this excess OF water and
IT is given of into the air through the
leaves This process is known as
Transportation In an experiment at
this farm We found that one year
old alfalfa plant gave on during an
average summer day one pound Of
water With this in mind it is hard
to conceive OF the amount of water
given OF by an entire field.
In localities where nature provides
more than 20 inches of rainfall an
nually the water needs of crops are
well taken care OF. II the natural
moisture supply Is much less than
this II must be supplemented by irri-
CATION. II We are to secure maximum
crop production.
American irrigation is a compare
lively new practice, In fact ii has not
/ yet been in use for the lifetime OF a
= HlAH. IL was III 81 urtn OAA AAt ~ VI
/ July lS47, upon the present site OF
Salt Lake City. ! am very proud OF
the fact that my grandfather was one
OF the little band OF sturdy pioneers
whose foresight and resourcefulness
first established this great system OF
farming which has meant more to the
development OF arid America than al
other factors combined.
Permanent Idaho irrigation date
from June 18th. 1860, at the littl'
town OF Franklin. the Oldest settle
ment In the state. This date has beef
made a legal holiday and should b.
fttingly observed as such over GU
great state.
From tiny stream OF water now
inn in one pillow furrow to irrigate
few potatoes, Idaho irrigation ma
grown in SO years to be the on
greatest factor in the states devel
opment and welfare.
Its growth has been so enormou
that If at the present time all tn
land included in our many irriaguol
projects were brought together Il
one body II would be four times tn
size OF the state OF Rhode Island. l
would be three times the size o
Delaware and about the same size
Connecticut. 1t would be one-hai
the size of the Kingdom of Belgium
and one-third the size of Holland.
And this enormous growth has no
heen finished by any means. In IN
wears TO come our irrigated area WI
he extended by the building of othe
great gravity projects and by the II
stallation OF pumping plants to serV
! the higher lands. Already the grea
Bruneau project is contemplated an
will be constructed. This Will mea
the building of dam nearly wv
miles long at American Falls. VINE
completed this dam will form IN
J largest storage reservoir in IL
world
The question will be asked "Ha'
we enough water for very gre'
growth in our irrigated area?' All
. will he answered by the statemei
b that we shall be obliged to take De
for care of what water we have III
frat step I'm this direction will be Il
construction of new and the enlarg
ment of present storage reservoir
This will prevent the waste OF emo
} nous amounts of water at HOOD Sc
son. The greatest means, howeVe
Of increasing our available water su
,lv Is not the storage of flood wat
but more judicious care of the W
fer already stored and diverted In
, our irrigation systems.
am very sorry that | cannot tur
: ish figures for Idaho alone, but ia
,ne into consideration the irrigat
mart of the United States at iart
75 per cent of the water now divert
! into irrigation systems is lost. lo
| hos irrigation projects are not n
| terially different from the rest In u
! respect
| when we consider that the Gre