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<br />12, Irrigated and non-irrigated crops, The South Platte River basin
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<br />lies in a s81'li-arid region and detJends largely on irrigation for it" "fri-
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<br />cultural wealth, Although ~ considerable portion of the arable land is
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<br />devoted to dry farming, the greater percentage of the production is from
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<br />irrigated lend. The vrl ue of irrigrtion is strikingly sho'wn in .ab1e
<br />
<br />4 which presents a comparison of yields per Gcre for variour, crops on
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<br />irrigated ond dry fe,rms in Colorado and Nebrash,. '-'\Tyominl'; yielc's ere
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<br />omitted from this table becrmse of tho smell e.creal';es involved, ",nd truck
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<br />crops are omitted because they cannot be raised on non-irrige.tod land in
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<br />this rOl';ion. In 1939 the crops prodllced o,n irril';ated land were vP,lued B:t
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<br />~21,850,700 (73 percent of total), A.lthourh only 34 percent of the total
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<br />lBne under cultivation VTaS irril':8.ted. ~he total area uncler irrigC\tion
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<br />'n the basin in 1939 was rpproximate1v 1,200,000 ~,cres of ',vhich about
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<br />96 percent V{Os in the Co1orf:\do "['ortion pnd 3 percent in the Nebrl:\skr,
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<br />portion. There has been no incree,s" in irri[':ated acr8ar,c in the basin for
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<br />some time becr,use all of the ave,iluble surfnce vmter wos ''ctlproprided by
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<br />the early pr.rt of the century; the r,crer,!,:c under irrige,tic.n being e, functil)n
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<br />of the annual water su"['"['ly.
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<br />TABLE 4. Comparison ef yields on irrignted and non-irrigated land.
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<br /> I , Colorado Nebraska Enti rc basin
<br />Crop Unit Irrif,ated Dry Irrir:ated Pry Irril';ated I Drv
<br />Corn Bu 26.6 5,5 28.6 8,9 26.9 i 7.7
<br />Oats Bu 33.1 10~8 29.2 15.2 32.9 I 13.1
<br />Barley I Bu 34,4 I 6.8 33.7 13.0 34.4 I 8.8
<br />Rye Bu 17.7 I 6,1 15.3 10.4 17.5 8,9
<br />''heat , Bu 6.9 15.9 I
<br />! 22.8 12.8 i 22.8 10,8
<br />Sorghums I
<br />(grdn) Bu 10.3 5.4 15.3 8.4 I 10.8 6.8
<br />Beans Bu 20.9 I 2.5 12.1 3.3 20,9 2.5
<br />Potatoes Bu 205.3 I :!!2.2 169.8 35.8 201.0 34.5
<br />Sorghums I
<br />(forage) I Tons 1.6 I 0.5 1.3 1.1 I 1.6 0.7
<br />"lfaHa Tons 2.0 I 1.1 2.2 1.4 2,0 1.2
<br />Other I
<br /> I I I
<br />ta1J'ls hl.V : Tons 1.1 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0 0,7
<br />..fild hay i Tens i 0.7 0.7 I 0.9 0.7 I 0.7 ('1" 7
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