OCR Text |
Show TO STORE MOISTURE Prime Factor in Production of Irrigated Ir-rigated Crops. Farmer of Future Must Consider Proper Storage of Rainfall and Snowfall In Soil and Later Water In Canal Above. The natural precipitation in this arid country may be made a prime factor in the production of irrigated crops and of course it was the foundation of farming without Irrigation. Irri-gation. Irrigation should be supplemental sup-plemental only to the natural precipitation pre-cipitation and therefore the irrigation farmer of the future must consider first the proper storage of the rainfall rain-fall and snowfall in the soil and later the water right in the canal above his farm. The soil of the farm If put In proper condition acts as a storage reservoir for the winter precipitation, says Field and Farm. The results of years of experience show that In the spring a large per cent of the winter precipitation is actually found in the upper eight feet of soil. In one case, as high as ninety-five per cent and an average of fully eighty per cent of the total winter precipitation was accounted for in the upper eight feet. This proves conclusively conclu-sively that the winter precipitation may be stored In the soil. In view of the importance of the winter precipitation precipi-tation In crop production, the methods of conserving the snow and rainfall becomes of great Importance. It is generally conceded that In order to ! permit the winter precipitation to enter en-ter the soils easily and effectively the plowing should be done in tha fall and left In the rough throughout the winter. To prevent loss of this storage stor-age moisture, when the warm sun-Bhine sun-Bhine of spring and Bummer appears, the fall plowed soil should be harrowed har-rowed In early spring and by means of repeated harrowings a dry earth mulch should be kept on the .surface. In many places where the winter precipitation is not great and the water wa-ter In the stream goes to waste In the fall much benefit may be gained by fall or winter Irrigation. It Is possible pos-sible to store by these methods large quantities of water to be used in the succeeding season by the growing crops. When this Is done, the amount of Irrigation water that needs to be applied the following season Is materially ma-terially lessened. Great care she aid be taken however not to apply so much water as to set up waterlogfring in the soil. Fall and winter irrigation irriga-tion Is a coming practice in arid districts dis-tricts but it must be done cautiously. It Is especially safe on well-drained lands.- Our Colorado soils are able to hold the rainfall of from one and one-half to nearly two years. In the upper eight feet. The best results In arid farming farm-ing will probably come when the water wa-ter capacity is fully attained at seed time to a depth of at least eight feet and perhaps deeper. This implies that the total precipitation of two years should be In the soil before planting. One year's precipitation will then be taken out by the crop and that of another year will be kept in the soil as a working capital with which to enable the new moisture to move downward rapidly and to enable the lower moisture to move upward w(th ease to the plant roots. Of course in a very dry season like the past summer this theory may not work out In all places, for the rains come In streaks across the country so that certain sections go for months without with-out a drop of moisture. |