Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-05-08
County Agent Working
Upon a Plan to Secure
Irrigation Water Data

Satisfactory progress is being made
in the study of irrigation practice in
Cochise county with a view to de-
veloping methods which will lead to
more economic use of water, accord
ing to G. A. Smith, county agricultural
agent. Serious consideration should
be given to this phase of the agri-
cultural development. 1t is not to be
questioned that methods of putting
water on cultivated lands is inefficient
and in few instances cruoe in ma
ture.
Smith states that 'Information lis
also needed as to the cost of irriga-
tion under our present system. This
phase is especially important in view
of the talk concerning the introduce
ton of power lines. We need and
must have some basis for compari-
son of costs between our soil engines
and electric motors. We also need
authentic figures on the average num-
ber of hours our plants are used dur
ing the year with the distribution of
the time in each month. Such infor-
mation we must have to avoid guess
work, the bugbear, too many times,
in our agricultural endeavors. Guess
work is expensive with resultant err
rors. We must stop guessing.
Necessary blank forms for secur-
ing the desired irrigation data have
been. prepared. -Four different forms
are available: one for securing a de-
saription of the individual plants, size
engine, pump depth to water, draw
4,
ter developed; second, a form for keep
ing an accurate account of the num-
ber of hours the plant is used, togeth-
er with the amount of fuel and lub-
ricating oil consumed; third a form
for keeping track OF the repairs made,
nature of the repair as well as cost,
and, fourth, form for making 9
summary of the pumping operations
during the year by months.
"At the present time 25 farmers are
cooperating with the county agent
in keeping these records. Plans are
under way to hold several demonstra-
tions in the making and use of weirs.
A table has been prepared by the agent
for use with the weir, by which it is
possible to determine the amount of
water developed directly in gallons
per minute, thereby dispensing with
the necessity of going through any
calculations.
"That this type of agricultural eX-
tension work meets q need in our de-
velopment is evident from the inter-
est shown on the part of the farmers.
The foregoing information is the back
bone of the problem. and when we
have accumulated sufficient informa-
tion we will be ready to go another
step forward, by taking up study of
the proper length of borders to-
gether with the proper width. This
work will be carried on by practical
demonstrations in the field.
Studies are also planned dealing
with water penetration on our soils.
In other words, just what can we ex-
pect. of three-inch irrigation, how
far will it penetrate, and how much
soil will it wet? We know roughly
that it takes an acre inch and ones
half to two acre inches of water to
wet one foot of soil. You can make
UP your mind that a three acre inch
irrigation will not wet the soil down
three feet. This factor of course will
vary somewhat with the type of soil.
All of these problems should interest
every farmer who irrigates.
"The blank forms for keeping irri-
cation records are available to any
one who wishes to keep a tab on his
irrigation plant and to cooperate
with the extension service in securing
some dependable information. These
forms can be secured from the county
accents office at Wilcox