eta wr Sk Mee ce oe eee) en Siete JT eee Il Wil | Uh Coes ee ses ose Sf es 2 Soe Fe bse te " GEO M. ODLUM. Bs Ge DOR QO PN OPE Fe; MECC Cte te Cte tater Leta THES '> -” $ Ue alin THE - fT H © 8 I 8 = AN IRRIGATION SYS TEM MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Georea M OdAdluMm,. NS eee, FHESIS 1. From 80 to 98% of the freon waicht of plants is water. 2. A larg oar cont of tra avy nitiar or olmts 1s composed of starch, celluloss, sisar vice, which are toe products of water (H 2 0) ani cavbon-—lioxide (C 0 2). 3e Watar k99n8s nlants erect vy k9epines tne eslls turcid. 4. Tne svapurstion of watar from the plant Keens tre plant eco7l, and tris protects tie dslic ate proto— plesins from tre injurious naast of to sun. 5. Wator :-ares availavole the matevialis necessary for tre pliant -rewth, eatriss them throuch the root hairs into fhe plant, tren from cell to call, leaving A Litslds 1999 Fn a Little there, until it finally evaporstes ani loaves tre material behind. Water is slant economy. a tra yraat transportation secant of tre Hxnovinmente bees shown that the evaporation of from 309 to bot lcs. of water is neecsssery to the rrovtn of one pom of dry mattor. rrom tangs tovresoing it wi.l be s892n that water is a vary important factor in ths Ffrowth of plants, ani that tne successful production of crops denendis Larraby pon the sunoly of rater. AmeiculturalL chemists rave about the proportions of potash, vnhosphorousg and nit ro- pen necessary to the croth of certain crops, but tray 1082034 say very little about the wator supply, thus forgetting thet where abundances of water is supplied the other elements will largely look after themselves, Even the pine barrens of Northern Michigan wil produce large erops when abundantly watered. Very few sections of our country have a sufficient supply of water to produce the maximum crop that the land is capable of producing. Experiments in differ- ant parts of our country have proven this to ve a fact, In Wisconsin, during the season of 1896, a ssason when there was a large rainfell evenly distributed, irrigated lands yielded a large increase over those that depend- ed on the naturel rainfall. And in Fle@rida, where they heve 9 rainfall of about 60 inches, it has been found profitanhie to irrigate. How shall ws furnish tre plant with all the water necessary for its maximum growth? Two methods have been used,- the first is the conserving of the natural rainfall by thorough tillage. This method has proven vary successful, but it is difficult to conserve suf- ficient moisture when you have not sufficient to start with, so that for this reason a second method is veing combined with the first— that is water applied artificially to the soil. Tne history of irrigation is nearly as extensive as i8 tha history of man. It was irrigation that made tha valley of the Nile tre granary of the world. Babylon, Ninevah and Assyria ware each in tum able to rule the world becauss the waters of the Tigris and tho Euphrates nad heen skillfully directed to water their otnerwise barren plains. Ths Svaniard was at the height of his Flory 3t tne time wron the learned Moors were vabientiy euiding streams over the hills of Spain. But it is not until the last half of the presont progressiva century thet ivrigsation in comnon with every branch of imiustry makes its great advansive stride The English snginser on his errand of mercy dnrnaews famine strickon India there to teach this revived art, and wnere ne fo9s fanines and starvation retum not apeine Egypt, tnrough the recon- struction of tha works of tre ancient Pharoshs, again hopes to 'e ones of tre world's marks of trade, In the great West of our own Anerics racing mountain torrents are eneined to work the will of man on the fertile plains below, while here and there progressive arricul- turists are forcing the passing winds to free them from tnosir slavery to the fickle rain clowis. But as yat the great majority of farmers know but little about the proper control of thoir water supply. An intelligent farner my know how to properly combine a balanced ration, he may keep the nest of reristered stock, he may produce a sanitary dairy product, but mention the sub- joct of irrigation to him and he looks st you with a blank stare, To him there is a mystery about it,—- it is akin to meic- a subject with which only the learned and wealthy may play. If he condecends to reply to anything so manifestly absurd it is with tre curt state= ment that "It won't pay." He may spend $40.90 per acre on siwer phosphates in omoer to dowhls his crop, vut 108s 1 not realize that one-fourth that amoimt expanded on irvrvigation may producs the s4n4 result with certainty. Is irrigation practical, ani will it pay? There are 3,600,000 acres of irrigated land in Awerica, ivrigsted at an average first cost per acre of $8.00, which has placed 9n sdded valuation of $26.00 por acras The aversce ysarly cost is $1.90, which brings an aver~ ar return of $12.90. It will be seen by these figures that irrigation pays, but theses statistics are for laree systems, ni the expense of installing a small system is necessarily proportionally large, However, the aided profit from being nearer the markets, and tmis savine transportation charges, will probably maxe the net profit as lerge or larrer than thos? fivene Hx- periments at the Wisconsin Experiment Station hav9s chown that aven where an expansive system, wnsconomically run, has been installed. it may be made to pay Larges raturns every season. le Irrigation pays in that it furnishes increased crops nearly every y22Tve 2. In that it acts as an insurance, fiving romunsre ative crops in seasons when there would be none at alle 83. In that the water may be applied at those times when the crop needs it most. 4. In that it not only incroases the quantity, but also the quality. This is especially noticeable in fruits. or instances, a peach orchard watered just vefore riponing will not only double its yield but the fr” will »8 so incresssd in siz9 2s to learrely frade se "choice," whieh call for from two to thra: tino as inch 9s #9, which tre fruit would hava bheon without water. Therg ave Yew "Mibrnins® on irvignrted corn, ani water pronerly spolied to potetoes will not only increase tia yléeld but wi.l decreas’ tra ivyirar of small and it resulerly sreaped potatoss. kieny instanecass wisht va eitoad. 5e 18 pavs in that it keeps the plants strons and healtiy, iio fo vasist dissrsss and insects. It is the waek and stunted plunt toet sieeunmbs to treir attacts, 3. 0% oavs in that 311 water, especially iste and rPivsy wat3rvs, contsin sPprseisbls anounts of nitrorsi nnd other farvtilizing materials, and these slements added to tre land qn treat f°" ave at laast as valuable as those puterasead tn the form of conmereial fsrtilizers. In fact, most waters eontain thors sismente in shout tras 29719 proportion as tre soil water ta: en up by the roots of plants, and many iraeated Lanis racaive no Portilizers other than thos’ in tho water, yt produce enormous crops from year 40 youre On thre ona rand, ‘ichiran has a vast acreage of far~ ANd more tile *islds, each year suffering Move fvom tha drougtn; on tho other rand, ara 10,099 iniand lakes, many vivers, inniumeradls sn3ll streams, and sortines, and a unlinited supply of water not far baneath tna surfade. also abun-= danea of creap fuel, a naarly vonstent wind, and a market for all thet can bos raisode It is with the expectation that tha Vawiar wilt soon 92 thro relation between thea So Veargines al pranperly eorhings trem tuset Io teha Toe un tread s "An Tevisetion System for fieid #7." Ts is not wita any 1499 treet my work will te of any value to Fiala =7 trot T tara up tris work, tut it des with the nelisf tht iveisation wisl b3 ong of tra naxt rrsaat sfans in the new eaerieultuve, and I wish to so p»-acave NMysealP? that whan treet new ar eicoultural eva Aaawns T mav he at the threshold to aid in ushering it in. Field =7 prasents no difficult yrovlems, 4nd vill raquirs arowt thea sana emount of wovk as the avara-9 “fepiran field. Tb is an ireeruierly ste:paad Tiald of s9vantem secras, lyine just south of the river and east of tie Coliere lane. 16 is 1,599 fs:t sions to south clita, 600 feet on the sast, and 247 ast on tna wast sid@ T73 f191d is Righest sion. t's south side, and Slope to the nortn and east, the hishost point tains at svort tia center of thea south sida, which is 30.6 fest anove trea water in the rivaxn The fislid cont:ins a Pov s1ali ynollis, and two small subliss. The soi: is a heavy send loam, underlaid ny a quicksand, so thet 10 vill not re nest to »xttemot mich Lovelings. Judeane from tie sxperignee of others, it is fifured that four irvipations of trree inches each wiil b9 all thet the fisld will raquire. Tris vill 9en 185,130 curxic fast at an irrica- tion, or 1,864,854 gallons. Thners ave two avaliable sources uf water,- tho river slong the north side, and A wWOll to be cue at ths hienest point. The depth of tre wai, Lc astimsated at 30 feat. The followine conrwss of power hava surprestal theme y - Tee; . = - 1s ~ yy . er ‘ . S9LVas: Peruse we » Pet MA rigtor, stesm aneine, 1, easolins anrine sca vind vower, Tre first clouncs at t-3 rivar vill show trot 9 ran 090217 ho neseless DaeeaqsSe of laek of falie Th i194 of alectricty as power may uLSo Lea adisnicsad, for to start with a ood motor eyets as nyrieh #8 9 staan onssing of agisl jorss power, AVL @yots Peo 895 to B24 move Tor ovaration. St320 Dower, 9 toeeshics engvins of 14 HePe may 13 purerasal for *1,909.00 w Pumpine Static GRADE PLAT OF FIELD SEVEN N | INCH= 150 FEET ~~ pelle MEE ty ip Soe coal KARL PRON AR ee