Show I 1 MM FARM NEWS A agronomist g r suggests ways to save more irrigation water ity ily J 0 hogenson II extension agronomist ili III many parts of the state now streets roadsides barrow pits and waste ditches tire tilled filled to over flowing many farmers seem to think that in ili order to get their crops watered efficiently it Is necessary to have a certain percentage of waste water this ibis Is not true good irrigators Irrl gators never waste any water they utilize every drop of it here tire are a number of ways of saving irrigation water as by science experience and common sense take care of the water on oil meadows as well as on oil other crops allowing tile the water to run wild for tt a week or more on the same meadow or pasture Is a most wasteful practice the pounding of water on oil meadows or pastures Is not only wate wasteful ful but it kills out the better varieties of grasses and clovers and promotes the growth of the poorer varieties such as broad leaf and other sedges many ditches and canals all over the state are now so full that there Is considerable loss of water through overflowing of the banks do not put more water into a ditch or canal than it will hold either enlarge the ditch or cut down the size of the stream practice early irrigation all water ater flowing into the valley early in ili the season should be used on the land as much as possible all canals and ditches must be cleaned of all weeds weeds grass and other rubbish just its as early lu in the sell season soll as possible first to reduce water losses and second t to 0 prevent the growth ot of weeds streams for irrigation should be kept as large us as possible in order to get over the land quickly where several farmers are using part of a stream at the saine same time it will be wise to combine the streams and allow one farmer to use the whole stream for a shorter time at the head of every main ditch there should be some sort of a measuring sal ifie g device so that a farmer will know I 1 hav itow much water lie la Is applying to his land if too much water is used it Is wasted take edre care of your irrigation water at night as well as in the day time do not just turn the water onto the land and then go home and go to sleep stay with your water and guide its course use the rotation system of water turns it Is tile the most economical way of handling the water where each farmer lias has his own independent stream all the time it la is a very cry wasteful practice and in ili time will usually swamp his laud land and render it unfit for cropping purposes as examples show in many parts of our state keep down weeds because weeds tire are very nry heavy users of water and where allowed to grow with crops leave very little moisture for those crops to use ilse always plant tops on oil the farm amor according dlug to your water su cupply aply in ili other oilier words to do not plant more inore acres of crop than you oil havo have water waier to irrigate with provide ditches for tiny any runoff run off water that may inay got get away so that it will be used on oil lower areas never allow your runoff run off water to go 90 to waste ilse short runs in ili irrigating Ili eliere liere long runs tire arc used the upper part of the land gets too nine water wa ter and the lower part not enough shorter runs will enable you tu to make junke a more equitable distribution trib ution of the water select the lie best you can call flud find ilay him well so he can call afford to devote his time to his duties live him your power to punish slothful irrigators i and sec eliat each caell irrigator Irrl gator uses the water tit in ills turn only tills this will enable the hie to distri distribute bitto tile limited water supply in st such ach a way that it will do the greatest good to the greatest number ol of milles fu |