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Show Water Supply Ample If Judgment Exercised "We must consider ourselves mighty fortunate as compared with other sections throughout the state and the west, when the supply of irrigation water is taken into consideration. con-sideration. Tine, we have not the water as in years gone by, but we are not suffering and it is a certainty that we are going to reap good harvests har-vests this fall." Thus spoke one of the prominent farmers of the valley to a News man yesterday. The question ques-tion had been asked if there was really a shortage of water from the irrigators standpoint and in reply the farmer stated that the water was lower than it usually is at this time of the year, but that conservation and cultivation, principally the latter, was the solution of his problem. "When I realized that the lack of rains and snowfall would leave the water in our reservoirs low, I concluded con-cluded that the best thing to rio would be to do a little more cultivation cultiva-tion and make what water I could get do the service for me. I have succeeded very nicely as my crops will show. On one of my beet patches patch-es I had a water turn and followed at the proper time with a thorough cultivation. I watched carefully the results after several cultivations and after a period of sixty days, the time that elapsed between two irrigations, irriga-tions, I found that I was getting better bet-ter results. At a deapth of not to exceed six inches the soil was thoroughly wet and the beets today are among the finest in the valley. Cultivation did it." Considerable anxiety has been expressed ex-pressed among many of the farmers and many are fearfull that the crops will be failures because the usual amount of water is not being furnished fur-nished at this time. The heads of the different irrigation companies, anticipating some ' shortage, have decreed de-creed that the regular amounts will not be turned loose at this time, believing be-lieving that it would be the wrong! step. j "There is ample supply of water' in the reservoir for all irrigation purposes if used conservately," said J. M. Knighton, president of the Gunnison Gun-nison ' Irrigation company. "It has become necessary to establish drastic rules to guard against undue waste and we are going to see that the rules are followed. The equal distribution distri-bution of the waters will be made and I we will see to it that there is no suf-J suf-J fering of crops for the want of water. If the farmers will use a little judgment judg-ment and cooperate with us, there will be no cause for anxiety over the outcome of the crops this fall. August and September are the months when a copious supply of water is most I needed. Were we to drain our reservoirs res-ervoirs now, it might mean a failure. Until those months come, we will continue to keep careful watch and see to it that the water is judiciously used and that every shareholder gets sufficient to tide over until harvest j lime. A little cultivation wi'l great- ly conserve the moisture and if this j is done the farmers will not only pull j through, but will have greater and better yields." , |