212 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PROPER IRRIGATION. 



BY MR. J. N, STEARNS OF SOUTH HAVEN. 



From my observation I have no doubt that more trees are killed every 

 year by the Improper application of water than are saved by right appli- 

 cation. 



How often we see the newly planted tree treated to two or three pails 

 of water on the surface, and then left to its fate for several weeks, until 

 perhaps the appearance of the tree warns the planter it is suffering for 

 the want of moisture; and then the same mode of watering is again used. 



Water should never be applied to the surface about a newly planted 

 tree, unless the tree is mulched with some coarse material or the water 

 put on just at night, and then the soil thoroughly stirred the next morn- 

 ing. My mode of planting, if the weather is very dry, is, when the roots 

 of the tree are covered, or about two thirds of the hole filled, to tram]> 

 thoroughly, and then turn in a pail of water. When this has settled 

 away, around the roots, fill in the rest of the soil and never tramp this. 



A tree so planted will stand for weeks without suffering for moisture, 

 if the surface is kept stirred with cultivator or steel rake. 



If it should become necessary to apply water, never put it on the sur- 

 face, but make a hole near the body of the tree and over the roots, of suf- 

 ficient size to hold a pail of water; and when soaked away about the 

 roots return the soil and leave it loose as it is.raked in. 



As I suppose this topic is to deal more with bearing fruits, I will simply 

 give my experience and practice along this line. The four past seasons 

 have been extremely dry, so much so we begin to think that we, like 

 California, will have to depend on some plan of irrigation; and I have 

 been practicing this more or less four years, and I am fully satisfied. 

 in respect to plums alone, for the past two years, I have had from 500 to 

 1,000 baskets more by this means, as I have had four good crops in suc- 

 cession, which is a rare thing in plums, as they bear so heavily that, in 

 such dry seasons, the trees are taxed severely to mature the crop, and, 

 unless they can have some help, in the way of water and fertilizers, they 

 will make no new wood and fruit buds for the next season. 



Now, what is true of the plum is true in a measure of other fruits. 

 But I will say here, if I had just the right soil (and that would be a 

 good sandy soil) and plenty of well rotted manure and ashes, with the 

 proper amount of cultivation, I could grow a good crop of plums and 

 peaches if we had no rain from time of blossoming to that of maturity 

 of the fruit, and without irrigation. Here comes in the importance of 

 intensive cultivation, at which I have only time to hint. But it so hap- 

 pens that a largiB portion of my orchard is planted on heavy clay soil, 

 and with all the cultivation I can give I can not keep up the proper 

 amount of moisture without the application of water; and having so 

 much to do I have made it a study to make the least amount of water do 

 the most good. I have found this to be accomplished by keeping the sur- 

 face pulverized, and as fine as possible, up to time of commencing the irri- 

 gation, which is done by hoeing the soil away from the tree, down nearly 



