214 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



If windmills or steam or electrical power are to be used, the cost will 

 necessarily be increased, and crops must be selected that will warrant 

 the investment. Intensive culture must be resorted to to make the 

 investment pay. 



Two great mistakes in irrigation are made, one in not commencing 

 soon enough, expecting rain to come in time to prevent serious drouth; 

 and the other is in giving too much water without long enough inter- 

 mission. Such has been my experience, this season, especially the first. 

 The length of time needed between the waterings depends very much oq 

 the nature and porosity of the soil and the subsoil. Plants wanjt air to 

 breathe as well as water to drink, and they get it mostly through their 

 leaves; but they need air at the roots, and the ground should be allowed 

 to dry out to a certain extent, so that the surface may be cultivated and 

 the air allowed to find its way to the roots of plants, conveying with it 

 such fertilizing elements as it may contain. The fertilizing elements in 

 air, question it as much as we may, are a very potent factor in the growth 

 of plants. Experiments with the feeding of roots in connection with 

 other foods, shows that better results are obtained than the nutritive 

 elements in roots would warrant. So it may be with a good supply of air 

 mixed in with the food of plants. The nutritive elements may not be 

 great, but such as they are they seem indispensable, and we should 

 practice airing as well as irrigation. 



Wherever I have irrigated judiciously the past season, as well as the 

 year previous, the crops have been more than double those on similar 

 land not irrigated. Late planted corn for silo, on land where it could 

 not be watered, gave very poor returns; but of such as was irrigated, 

 planted at the same time, the yield was all one could ask. Eye sown the 

 last of August, for fall feed, where irrigated, got an enormous growth 

 in a very short time; while that not watered made slow and feeblo 

 growth and gave very little fall pasture. 



On my brother's farm adjoining my own is a flowing well about 150 

 feet deep. This gives a continuous stream through an inch-and-a-half 

 pipe. The water has been utilized the past summer for irrigating the 

 vegetable garden, with most decided benefit. He never had such a pro- 

 ductive garden before. This well will pay big interest on its cost every 

 year, for the garden only. This well, including piping, cost less than 

 175. 



This state is well supplied with water, within as well as around it. 

 The surrounding waters are of vast benefit to the state, without any 

 effort or outlay on our part. The waters within the state, a vast amount 

 of them, are at our service, and can be made to contribute to our pleasure 

 as well as profit, so soon as we can by experiment and intelligent investi- 

 gation learn how best to use them, at a cost warranting the expenditure 

 for their control and distribution. 



