| Show TO 10 IRRIGATE GRAIN ost Common Method Is Flooding Flood Flood- From Field Ditches ing i t tt tk Requires Least east Preparation of Fields Fields Field to New and ind Therefore Appeals Settlers Settlers Direction Direction of SowIng Sowing Sow Sow- Ing Is la Important f TV WAL ALTER WALlER EIt W. W 1 Irrl th t En Irrl U U. S. S Dt Department of or A Agriculture The fact that grain crops cover the restricts the methods met I teD surface can be used for its Irrigation They must be Irrigated by sarno some form oar cof flooding or lor in small furrows in which the grain can grow In general flooding is considered less desirable I other methods wherever any oth- oth because theW the cr CU method can be used W of the Ute entire surface increases in In- cu creases n s the area exposed to evaporation dOD tion and causes soils of ot some types to o puddle and bake until exposed to the sun and wind but these to to flooding have less weight with grain than with with other other crops crois been because use seldom that grain fields are Irrl later ater r after the seed Is planted until the he grain is six or elg eight Inches hes high big and nd protects the soil sou from sun and ana Wind From the standpoint of the settler set sot tIer however flooding Is better belter than other ether methods because it requires less preparation of the land lard for irrigation and the land is smoother for or han handling I Probably the most common method v of irrigating grain crops Is floo flooding from field ditches but they are also hooded flooded in hi strips between levees called the border method and In basin ba basins basins ba ba- sins sin formed by dividing a field by I running both ways wars and water- water t Elss by furrows Flooding from field dit ditches was the adopted adopted for Cor irrigating grain la In the sections tf Ot the arid regions first r settled and it is sUll still the pre pre- valEns method in those sections It I requires the least preparation of ot the molds and therefore appeals to the new newl It can be used on quite roll 1 ing ng ground since the field ditches can can bo be run along the ridges and the waiter wa wa- iter allowed to flow down the slopes In all attractions II On the other hand It S more labor In applying water shim mn any allY other method and requires requires' a larger stream of water than the th furrow Harrow method although one man can can toot root use so large a stream as he cani can i either cither the border of check method On tOn n steep land flooding is l Ua le to to td raus cutting and pc in ft mp sea sea- rums flooding is said sald to trou trou- Ible from rust r p. p The method consists running small mal q m and running the water to tl these ese ditches l es war the surface other direction direction tion is is- gi bY bV the or Jr l. l The if the drillIs drill drilla Is 13 a used is ance where l land nd to be Led l l miniature drill I S can itak taken n advantage of where the slope to lead water oater f y r the land in flooding flooding flood flood- ing an h hl is desirable to check ithe T upon the soils solIs which l t slope or which do lter readily the furr furrows ws be n across the slope This dewill dence de- de nce will ill beof be of considerable assistance io 10 who farmers flood their land and is worth a trial The cost of ot drilling will s ary ary from 35 to 10 70 cents per acre Tand will wm probably average 45 cents The proper location of the field ditches depends upon the lay of ot the Sand d. d On rolling land they will run on he ridges and the water will ivill flow down the slope lope On land with a uniform uni uni- form tonu orm or a slope one in-one direction they will be l laid ld out in one direction and at and at regular Intervals ibe most com corn being to 10 run a supply it tie the slope along the margin t of tnt the field and from this run ditches rough the fi field ld across the slope with Just enough gr grade de to carry the wa- wa ter The water flows from the lower Thank of ot ea ht itch down the slope to next ditch Another arrangement Us in t tp run TUn the supply ditch across the n mid and d from this run field ditches the slope and turn water out of both Thoth sides letting it run down the 4 alope |
