The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-05-20
TREASURE STATE. FARM AND LIVESTOCK
Some Irrigation Needs

Iso urgently needed at the present
time. 1t is unfortunate that delay
has been experienced in securing this
information but it is hoped that a
more liberal policy toward irrigation
investigation on the part of the state
as a whole will obtain in the future.
There is a chance for the state to
do a lot of excellent work in helping
new irrigation farmers to start in
the right direction. People have been
brought to irrigation projects from
the humid regions, from the factories
and from the professions who have
very little if any knowledge concern
ing irrigation farming. They are
handicapped in not knowing the fun
damental principles of irrigation
farming, and they can be greatly as
sisted through demonstrations in
preparing land for irrigation, in ap-
plying water to the land and in hand
ling an irrigated farm. In some of
the earlier irrigated sections of the
state problems of the control of seep-
age and alkali conditions have come
up and the communities in such sec
lions need assistance on the best me-
thod to irrigate and the way of get
ting rid of the seepage water.
The conditions in the different
parts of the state are so unlike in
many respects that they will require
Investigations made on local needs
in order to be able to solve the prob
lens; and demonstrations to be of
the greatest benefit should be made
with a knowledge of the conditions
That 1v;1+ =, Tho cnofinn fa, whSoh |
demonstrations are being made.
The question of economical duty
of water is one that needs a consid-
cradle amount of Investigation in va
rious sections of the state. Even
after the utilization of all the avail
able water supply of the state for
power and irrigation purposes there
will be vast areas of fertile land for
which there will be no irrigation
water. 1t is essential therefore to
make the largest possible use of the
water. This can be done by spread
ing the supply over a larger area,
but there is a limit to which this thin
ning-out process can be carried for
economy. For illustration, suppose
a man has thirty a~cre-inches of water
to use. If this is put on one acre of !
alfalfa he may secure four tons and
f he puts it ON two acres he may |
ten tons. The actual yields
If course depend upon local condi- t
ions but the idea is expressed in the s
given and the ratio is not far I
rom results that have been obtain e
ID. However, there is a limit to the
lcreage above which the yield from
! given amount of water will de- |
,rease, but before that limit is reach
ID the economical point has been
1t is to the greatest inter
st of the state that the greatest net
eturns be obtained from from the
valuable water supply and to deter
line on the duty of water to secure
hese greatest returns we must have :
luch data on duty of water and the i
ost of producing crops under irriga- 7
ion. Without such information it is :.
npossib1e to put the waters of the :
tate to the best use. :,
The irrigation agriculture is the
ackbone of the state and any work :
} secure data that will throw light <
n the best use to make of the water (
lould be heartily supported by the
ate at large. n,