Show WATER BY FURROWS I Method Adopted When Distribu tion by Flumes Is Too Costly Spouts Made by Nailing Together Four Lath and Set In Bank of Ditch Method Reduces Cost of Irrigation When flumes arc considered too costly the water Is distributed among Hn f HIP turrows through wooden snouts net In the bank of un ordinary earthen earth-en ditch Those head ditches when In operation are divided Into a series of level spaces by means of drop boxes which hold the surface of the water at the desired elevation The spacing of these drop boxes depends on tho grade of the head ditch and their cost averages about 250 each Spouts are made usually by nailing together four lath There Is n special lath on the market ertt u i t i somewhat heavier than the ordinary ono used for plastering buildIngs build-ings being 06 Inch thick two Indies wide and three feet long Four of these when nailed together cost about 35 cents and each spout in place costs about 05 cents Assuming that they are spaced four feet apart tho spouts for n square tract of ten acres would cost 1073 or slightly more than 1 per acre The cost of an ordinary head ditch with four drops or checkboxes check-boxes would be about 15 for the sumo tract or 250 per acre for both exclusive rtt of grading smoothing I and leveling Tin tubes 05 Inch In diameter one to each furrow have sometimes been used instead of tho wooden tubes When sU 05 Inch below be-low tho water surface each tube discharges dis-charges about 01 miners Inch which Is about right for a slope of three percent per-cent The tubes are set while the water Is In tho ditch and are kept at the same level between check boxes The cost of tin tubes two feet long Is about 3 per hundred In many places neither flumes nor tubes are used Water is taken through cuts in the ditch bank and divided among the furrows as evenly as possible by directing di-recting It with the shovel This prac tise reduces the cost of preparing tho land for irrigation but It Increases the cost of applying water and does not secure an even distribution among tho furrows Furrows In alfalfa fields are most commonly made by the uso of a with I marker or furrowing sled Sleds more than two runners are sometimes used reducing the time required for furrowing but not producing quite so satisfactory furrows since an obstruction ob-struction under one of the outside runners run-ners will lift all but the other outside runner out of the ground and leave obstructions In the furrows which If not removed will cause the flooding of tho surface Sometimes u marker I Is put on the sled to Indicate the place for time next furrow |