Irrigation

The subject of irrigation is of great importance to the people of South Dakota, and especially so to those living in the strip of country known as the James River Valley. This strip lies in the great artesian basin of the Dakotas and wherever wells have been put down to the water bearing strata, water has been obtained in abundance. But the people in general, are unacquainted with the methods and effects of irrigation and many questions arise regarding it. Some of the most important of these questions are as follows: Will it pay to put down an artesian well for the purpose of irrigation? How much water will be required to irrigate a certain area of land? How can water be distributed over the land? When to irrigate and how much water do certain crops require? Will the artesian water be injurious to vegetation? Will the filling of natural reservoirs and channels increase the precipitation enough to insure a crop? It is not only the object of this bulletin to give the results of the experiments carried on by the Experiment Station, in irrigation and to answer as best we can these questions, but, to give as well, some ideas regarding fall and winter irrigation and a description of some of the methods used in Colorado and other states which may be of use in this state