The Garden 31 



Irrigation 



''Don't you think the garden's looking pretty 

 dry, Henry?" 



"Yes, I do, William, and I was just thinking how 

 they do in California. They irrigate out there, and 

 it would be just as simple as rolling off a log for us 

 to do it here. See that pile of big bamboo poles? 

 We could use them to pipe the water from the 

 stream up there in the woods and it would have al- 

 most power enough to turn a mill." 



"Are you sure they are hollow?" said William. 

 "I know elder always has partitions in it. I think 

 it would be better to split off a little strip along the 

 top, anyhow, so that we could clean the leaves and 

 dirt out of the pipes." 



When Edna learned of their new scheme, she 

 said, "Then I can have water right here at the house 

 for everything except drinking and cooking and you 

 can wash the vegetables before you bring them in. 

 I think it will be fine." 



The next day, the boys ran their pipe line along 

 the slope of the hill from a pretty pool in the woods to 

 the corner of the yard adjoining the garden. They 

 did find partitions in the bamboo and had to knock 

 them out, but the scheme worked to perfection, and 

 everybody celebrated when the first water came 



