White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-11-26
BaCk-tO-Farm
Movement Is
Recommended
IRRIGATION INSTITUTE MEET
ING IN WENATCHEE CLOSES
TWO DAYS MEETING

The annual two-day meeting of the
Washington Irrigation Institute held in
Wenatchee last Friday and Saturday
was one Of the best attended in the
history of the organization and sub
jects ranging from the number of
inches of water necessary in irrigating
orchards to the back-to-t land move
ment, were discussed.
A. E. Larson of Yakima was elected
president and Frank Fyfe of Grand
view, vice-president of the Institute
for the coming year.
Sunnyside was chosen as the place
for next years convention.
Of the meetings recommendations
the Wenatchee Daily World said:
Two outstanding resolutions, one
asking that steps be taken by all agen-
cies to cooperate with the forest SER
vice in the study of conservation and
preservation of water sheds and that
areas which will be looked to in the
future, for irrigation domestic and
power purposes, be considered of prime
Importance to these purposes and the
second urging state and federal au-
thorities to carefully examine all flu
ture applications for road locations,
pleasure resorts, farms or other en-
croachments in areas of storage pos
sibilities, were adopted.
The conservation sentiment figured
strongly in the two-day session, and
was the subject of several papers.
Principal features of other resolu-
tions adopted were: That flood con-
troll and power be recognized as an
integral part of all proposed reclama-
ton pojects and be given equal con-
sideration with the problems of 'stor-
age, diversion and distribution of wa
ter. That replacement on small farms
of at least one or two million families
now idle in cities is favored in order
to permit them to produce the major
Npart of living and that the federal
government act as a coordinating agen-
cy to secure the necessary cooperation
of states, counties and cities. That an
economic study be made regarding es-
adjustment of farm flocks both in
Western and Eastern Washington and
especially on irrigated lands.
At Saturday mornings session, men,
bers of the institute heard the exper-
mental program of the irrigation ex-
pertinent station at Prosser outlined
by II. P. Singleton, superintendent. DR..
Carl A. Larson and Professor T.. L.
Claypool added to the discussion with
papers on particular features of the
irrigation work with which they are
concerned.
"In general it can be said that 80
inches of water is insufficient even for
orchards 10 years DID," Professor Clay
pool said 'sAs the tree gets older more
water is needed, because of the in
creased leaf area, etc., although this
is partially offset by the lessened pro-.
portionate loss through the cover crop.
"Our experimental work has shown
that 40 inches of water seems to be
nearly as good as go inches. There was
little difference what the water was
applied in is or 80 day cycles, where
the same total amount of water was
applied"
Speaking on the experimental work
at the Wenatchee branch station, Pro-
lessor F. l.. Overley declared that many
orchardists are using too much water
and too much fertilizer. Among &C
tivities carried on in Wenatchee Over
ley listed orchard fertilization, irriga-
ton, winter injury, leaf area work, ma
turity, pollination, and cover crop stud
les, all in the horticultural end. En-
genealogical work includes studies of
timing sprays, value OF arsenlcals.
spreaders and fish-oil mineral oils,
contact sprays, residue red spider, tar
nish plant bug, scale control and oil
and lime sulphur, most of the studies
being from the standpoint Of cooling
moth control.
Ed Gensinger, east Wenatchee or
out that individual pumping plants
with lifts of over 800 feet were now
practical. Major changes in the last
few years have greatly increased eff
cheney of pumps and assured power
cost cuts in the near future. He stated
that the cost was approximately As per
cent of six years years ago, or in other
words, land which was formerly 100
feet above water has now been brought
down to As feet above water.
He cited the case of his own orchard
at the mouth Of Moses Coulee, where
water is being lifted 376 feet from the
Columbia river to water 300 acres Of
young orchard at a total cost of eight
dollars an acre.
Such advances in irrigation practice,
he declared have served to make avail
able for irrigation considerable acre
age which formerly was not considered
practicable for such method of culti-
walton.