Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-13
SUGGEST PIPE
IRRIGATION ON
VALLEY FARMS
Systems Installed on
Mercedes Tract Are
Beneficial to Orch
ards of Section

Pipe irrigation, designed u carry
irrigation waters 70 all parts Of the
orchards with the minimum waste
Of water or land. will eventually
become the accepted practice for
valley orchardists, IS the opinion OF
Mercedes growers who have installed
such systems.
The present open-ditch system,
used in the majority Of Valley or
chards Is not only too wastetul ot
water and land, but also prevents
proper cultivation, "a their conten-
tion. They point out that pipe Iri-
CATION has become the accepted prac-
tice throughout the citrus districts
of California, and that years Of ex-
rerienee has proved its value.
Several pipe irrigation systems
have been installed on the Mercedes
system the past year. On the w. r.
Shaw orchard comprising 81 acres
just west Of Mercedes, p acres are
now irrigated by the pipe system. and
the system will soon be Installed for
the remainder. On the Fred kives
farm. between Mercedes and Weslaco,
approximately Is acres have been
placed under pipe irrigation, and
similar systems are being Installed
in several Of the finest citrus or
chards in that section Of the Valley,
and the state experiment farm al
Llano Grande, Just east q the Rives
place, will probably Be included
The main lateral carrying the wat
er 70 the Rives farm and which viii
also serve several other farms IN that
section has been c0ncreted for over
half D mile, and all pipe connections
are made directly Ia the concrete
lateral. There Is no waste Of water
from either the lateral or the pipe
irrigation system.
Growers Interested in Projects
Much interest has been evidenced
BY Valley growers in the pipe irriga-
tion systems, and surveys are now
being made for the installation OF
similar systems in ali parts OF the
Valley. One Of the greatest prob
lens with which the alley growers
have been confronted has been the
necessity for the application 81 the
proper amount ot irrigation water "
eacn tree, the danger 81 oser-lrriga-
tion or insufficient irrigation, and
the damage accruiLg TO lands and
0A&AAa4A NE 1920
and l~zterals. Ia many OF the Valley
orchards production mas been seri-
ously curtailcd by these various lac
tors connected with open ditch irrl-
CATION, and the proponents Of the
pipe system assert that only through
installation OF q system OF this char
acter can production be brought TO
the maximum.
California growers adopted the
pipe irrigation system twelve years
ago, and 1t has become the accepted
practice throughout that section,
where IL has been adopted for both
citrus and truck farms. The short
are of irrigation water was tine rri-
mary problem the Californinns
sought ~ solve, but the systems
proved s0 highly advantageous il
other Fcspect that they arc row be-
ing installed in those sections which
have an abundance Of water.
Use Furrow Irrigation
W. F. Shaw. who has devoted fif-
teen years 10 the study OF irrigation
in the Valley. and who recently made
a survey oil the larger systems IN
California. is urging the Valley
gTowers TO install pipe irrigation
htNNrAN HNQ NME AAAAQM AANAA"A W.
Irrigation.
The system installed for the Shaw
orchard near Mercedes provides per-
feet control. Irrigation water Is car
ried IN TO- and l2-inch mains from
the main canal. The topography de-
termines the number Of the distrih-
uting lines necessary. but IN the
Shaw orchard the irrigation water II
carried Ia burrows 400 20 600 feet
from the distributing lines. These
lines are placed on the highest
ground. Specially constructed com
crete, oval-shaped pipe. connected
with the distributing line, provide
for the control of the irrigation
water. These pipes have two Pinch
circular openings on each side, the
flow being regulated by q small zinc
gate 81 each opening. One ~ these
pipe basins Ia provided for each row
al trees and sracn rf the basins pro-
vider irriRstion water for four fur
rows.
Four sh,li3w burrows ere made
between each row. the inner frrrow
being sufficiently elise 10 ASSURE
proper irrigation NJ the m.in root
system without danger Of the water
reaching the tree trunk. The fur
rows are connected with the openings
in the concrete hasir. and the ce-
sired amount OF water - turned on.
Several hours are usually REQUIRED
for the watei % reach the end Of
the furrow. and the irrigation Is gen
orally completed IN nine % tee hours
II the furrows ere u medium length.
There is = perfectly even distribution
Of water over the entire orchard. AM
no waste Of water or danger Of over
irrigation. The entire system Il ur-
der a meter. and the exact amount Of
water required can BE- applied.
Adapted 10 Flood Irrigation
The pipe system is also adapted
60 flood irrigation, and assures A
more evan distribution Of the water
than the open ditch system. but the
furrow system 10 better adapted 20
citrus orchards experienced Cali
fornia growers assert. They point
out that much OF the root trouble in
both California and the Valley Is
due to flood irrigation. and advise
that the water be brought close 20 the
tree trunk but not touching it. In
Young orchards the burrows are
straight, but IN the older orchards.
where IL IL difficult 70 bring the
burrows close to the tree, the in
side burrows are ~rig-xagged, assuring
ample irrigation water for the main
roots. The furrow system also gives
better control. AT trees receiving !
virtually the sans amount Of irriga-
tion water.
The conservation az water. is, OF
course, q factor" Mr.. shaw said, but
not 50 important as the proper dis
4ysbuficn over the orchard. The
california growers have ascertained
~ wears Of experience that TIE most
rrcfitable way 70 handle their or
rhnrds is with pipe irrigation. II
permits the application Of the proper